Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, May 5: The North Goa Sessions Court has rejected a discharge plea filed by three accused in the 2025 Arambol beach shack murder case, ruling that there is sufficient prima facie evidence to proceed with framing murder charges.

The accused — Surendra Kumar, Lalit Thakur, and Vibhishan Kumar — are facing trial for the killing of Amar Dattaram Bandekar at a beach shack in Arambol on January 26, 2025.

According to prosecution details, the incident began with a verbal altercation over the arrangement of chairs at the beach shack. The dispute escalated into violence, with the accused allegedly assaulting the victim using slaps, kicks, and a sharp or hard object.

Although Bandekar initially managed to flee toward a nearby lifeguard tower, he later collapsed and was declared dead at the Community Health Centre in Tuem.

The defence had sought to reduce the charges to culpable homicide not amounting to murder, arguing there was no premeditation or prior enmity and claiming the death may have resulted from a heart attack triggered during a sudden fight.

However, the prosecution relied on the post-mortem findings, which attributed death to severe blunt force injuries to the head, face, and brain. They also argued that the accused pursued the victim as he attempted to escape, indicating intent to cause serious harm.

In its order, the court observed that injuries such as cerebral oedema and subdural haemorrhage, at first glance, pointed toward intent to kill. It also noted that the accused had not disclosed the recovery of alleged weapons, which could suggest an attempt to evade accountability.

The court clarified that final determination of the exact offence will be made during the trial, but ruled that it would be premature to dismiss the murder charges at this stage.