2013 Anmod murder: Court to hear final arguments

Panaji: The children’s court will soon hear the final arguments in the sensational 2013 murder of Sujata Naik and the attempt to murder her two children at Anmod Ghat. Merces resident Osban Lucas Fernandes, and Sindhudurg resident, Ramesh Tayaji Bagve, are the two accused.
The two are also facing a murder charge for murdering Shivaji Naik at Merces, three days before both allegedly murdered his wife Sujata.Their children, a girl aged eight and a boy aged five at the time of the incident, survived a strangulation attempt allegedly by the two accused at Anmod Ghat. They were rescued by Verna resident, Bonaventure Diago D’Souza who was returning with his driver from Karnataka.
The two children were later moved to the government-run child care institute, Panaji, as no family relations were willing to shoulder responsibility of the children on demise of their parents. D’Souza saw a minor girl and boy, both without clothes, on the roadside at Anmod Ghat within 2km of each other. He rescued them and brought them to the Molem police outpost. Acting upon D’Souza’s complaint, Colem police registered a complaint of kidnapping and attempt to murder. It was only after the rescue of the children that investigation led to recovery of bodies of Sujata at Anmod Ghat, and Shivaji’s at Merces, after which police arrested the accused.
Old Goa police also received flak when initial reports of Shivaji Naik’s disappearance surfaced.