Gang's chief committed crimes in K'taka, Guj

PANAJI: The main accused in about 30 cases of dacoity, robbery, vehicle thefts, impersonation and chain snatching, in Goa and neighbouring states, Michael Fernandes, had murdered a person in Karnataka six months before coming to Goa and forming a gang of robbers with Raju Devar's help."After his release from Sada, he along with afriend whom he had befriended in jail, joined a gang of robbers who operatedinter-state. He confessed of being involved with the gang in robbing a woman offher gold ornaments in Gujarat and even murdering a person in Karnataka with theaim of stealing his vehicle," said police sources.However, Michaelbroke away from the gang as he was not being paid well. "He stole 50,000 fromone of the gang members and escaped to Goa. In Goa he met Devar, who wasoperating a gang in Margao. They joined hands to rob people in Goa. WhileMichael planned the operations, the resources and man power was provided byDevar," said police sources.After the gang was formed, they firstcommitted robbery of 8 lakh in Belgaum. They then committed a dacoity in Raia,from where they took cash and gold ornaments worth about 7 lakh at gun point.After that the gang robbed a tempo driver at Quepem of 1.4lakh."Immediately after this, they shifted to a guest house inCalangute and started committing crimes in North Goa. Two months back theyshifted to the guest house in Siolim," added police sources. In Calangute, theyrobbed a local and two foreigners at gun point and in another incident they took15,000 from two Pune tourists.The gang was also involved in a chainsnatching incident in Panaji where they posed as cops, besides an attemptedrobbery in a villa at Caranzalem, which was prevented by the alert owner whoclaimed to be a policeman's wife. They also chased a Porvorimresident late Wednesday night and robbed his mobile. Michael has also confessedto several cases of chain snatching.On Thursday evening, Calangutepolice raided the guest house in Siolim and found two persons-Raju Devar, 25,from Margao and a minor-in the room, while-Yan John, 39, from Nagaland andMichael Fernandes, 25-jumped from the first floor of the guest house and triedto escape. Police, however, caught injured John, while Fernandes managed toescape on Thursday.Michael was caught hiding in a hut in Colva bypolice on Friday. Calangute police have recovered a pistol with live bulletswhich was being used by Michael. John, who broke his ribs, is beingtreated at Goa medical college and hospital.