Hyderabad criminal kills casino security guard in city, held while trying to flee

Panaji: A 25-year-old resident of Hyderabad and rowdy-sheeter, Abdul Altaf, was arrested by Goa police Thursday after he murdered a security personnel member at an onshore casino, operated at a five-star hotel in Panaji.

Altaf was arrested at Goa International Airport, Dabolim, while trying to flee from state. “There are two murder cases registered against Altaf in Hyderabad and an attempted murder case, too,” North Goa superintendent of police Rahul Gupta said.

“It has also come to light that Altaf is a rowdy-sheeter under the Mailardevpally police station jurisdiction in Hyderabad,” Gupta said.

Altaf, along with three friends, arrived in Goa on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday and went straight to a casino. Gupta said Altaf, who was under the influence of alcohol, started creating a ruckus at the casino.

A security guard attempted to remove him from the casino and while he was escorting him out, a minor scuffle ensued, which turned violent, and Altaf began assaulting the security guard, the SP said.

“During the assault, one security personnel, 33-year-old native of Madhya Pradesh, Dheeru Sharma, succumbed to his injuries while being shifted to Goa Medical College. Another security guard, a 27-year-old resident from Shiroda, Satyam Gaonkar, sustained a head injury,” Gupta said.

He said Panaji police station received a distress call at around 3.10am regarding the assault at the casino. “A guest at the casino had assaulted multiple security personnel using a wooden rod with the intention to kill. The wooden rod was extracted from the staircase and had an iron clamp at its base,” he said.

Altaf studied up to Class XII and took up some small construction works in Hyderabad. Gupta said the accused and his friends had not booked any accommodation in Goa.