Jeweller stabbed in Margao shop, dies chasing his killer

MARGAO: A jeweller was stabbed at his shop in the heart of Margao on Wednesday. Chasing the assailant and losing blood rapidly, Swapnil Walke, 41, collapsed outside the store, and died before he could be taken to hospital.
South Goa SP Pankaj Kumar Singh said that CCTV footage from inside and outside the shop are being examined by the police. “The culprit stormed into the shop and pointed a pistol at the deceased,” he said. “This led to a scuffle between the two, following which the accused stabbed him multiple times.”
Sources said that the CCTV footage shows that the assailant fired at the man, though this couldn’t be independently confirmed. Later, when searching the crime scene, police found a country-made pistol, a magazine, an empty cartridge, three live rounds and a knife cover.
Walke is the son of senior BJP functionary Krishni Walke, a former state party mahila morcha president and current member of the party’s state executive committee. The shop is located on the busy stretch leading from V Valaulikar road to Sapna Plaza.
Eyewitnesses said that minutes after some commotion was heard from inside the shop at around 12.30pm, the assailant bolted out of the premises wielding a knife dripping with blood.
Handheld video of the crime quickly went viral on social media, eliciting a furore from angry citizens as well as the opposition. The recording showed three persons, including the assailant, fleeing the spot. “However, investigations will reveal how many were actually involved in it,” Singh said.
While it was initially presumed that an attempt to rob the shop may have led to the scuffle, police said that they are investigating all angles. A sniffer dog was pressed into service, and a team of forensic experts inspected the crime scene. “During preliminary investigations, nothing has been reported missing from the shops, but we’re exploring all angles.”
Margao town police booked an offence under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Sections 3 and 25 of the Arms Act. Singh said that multiple teams have been constituted to trace the accused.
Meanwhile, BJP functionary Sharmad Raiturkar told TOI that “nobody knew what exactly happened, but when people saw this man running with a knife, people started chasing him, but he fled. They couldn’t venture too close to him as he had a knife, however, some then started pelting stones at him, but he managed to escape.”