Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, Sep 23: Panaji police are scrutinising call records of Zenito Cardozo, the latest to be arrested in the brutal assault on activist Rama Kankonkar, probing whether he directed the attack through a series of WhatsApp conversations with the assailants.

Soon after Cardozo’s arrest, police said he allegedly instructed the accused to carry out the assault. Investigators are now examining multiple WhatsApp calls reportedly made by him to the attackers around the time of the incident.

“We need to find out why he made so many calls to the accused persons, especially around the time of the incident. We suspect he gave directions, but it is under probe,” a police officer said. Officials are also seeking to learn from other accused in custody whose orders they acted on and the exact motive.

Cardozo, a history-sheeter with several prior cases, was arrested Sunday evening after interrogations of seven accused. The Judicial Magistrate First Class granted two days of custodial interrogation against the 10 sought by police.

North Goa SP Rahul Gupta told reporters the attack appeared to stem from “previous enmity.”

Others arrested include Satish Bharti (19), Yeshwant Nippanikar (47), Asif Ali Badekar (36), Suraj Shetye (48), Lourence Dias (41), Aniket Naik (32), Gauresh Naik (39), Adam Utkuri (52), Domnic Nazath (39), Karim Bepari (36), Chetan Korgaokar (35), and Shelton Perera (24).

Separately, Old Goa police on Sunday made 12 preventive arrests, including Bharti and Nippanikar—both Cardozo associates—nine history-sheeters, and one man listed as a bad character. The preventive arrests bring the total detainees under preventive sections to 23.