One held in desecration case

NT NETWORK
Posted on 2008-11-02
MARGAO - A Crime Branch team with the help of Quepem police arrested one Riyaz Shaik, aged 28, from Tilamol-Shirvoi in connection with the case of desecrating of religious places in Quepem.
A senior police officer from South Goa hoped that all cases will be solved with this arrest. There  was jubilation among police officials. However, none of the police officers who was contacted was able to brief as to in how many desecration cases, the accused was involved. It may be recalled that four major cases of damage to religious places were reported in last few months.
Police inspector of Quepem police station, Mr Santosh Dessai along with his team picked the accused from his residence at Tilamol on Saturday afternoon. A police officer from the crime branch team later interrogated him. 
According to the information, some persons found the xerox copy of Riyaz’s licence while cleaning the area near Shri Mahadev Temple, Kurpem on Friday night.
Police said that the accused who was working as a pilot  was staying near Shri Someshwar Temple along with his parents.  He was also accepting matka bets at Tilamol, it is learnt.
A crime branch team along with Quepem police team also raided the house of the Riyaz  near Shirvio and recovered  weapons allegedly used  to damage the religious places.
It may be recalled that  in the beginning idols situated outside the Shri Someshwar Temple were damaged  and later incidences of damage to idols at Cuncolim and  subsequently religious places at Paroda and near Kurpem, were reported. Three cases of damage to religious places were reported in Quepem while one was reported in Cuncolim and respective police stations had registered the offences.