Goa SP, DySP, MLA involved in Souza Lobo case: Bhomkar, Chotu operating prostitution biz in Goa for 12 to 14 years

PANAJI: The Souza Lobo restaurant vandalism case has taken a drastic turn for the worse, with the names of a serving Superintendent of Police (SP) and a powerful sitting MLA from North Goa cropping up.

Several hospitality stakeholders in the Vagator-Calangute-Candolim belt, including the owners of Souza Lobo have openly named the MLA involved in the property-grabbing business, using hired goons and thugs like the arrested accused Sunil Bhomkar and Chotu alias Gajendra Singh and business fronts like Rajeev Arora and Abhishek Mishra to finance the takeovers. ALSO READ: CCTV footage of Souza Lobo shows staff of Planet Goa, Sunil Bhomkar and Gajendra Singh leading the attack

Various sources told this reporter that a Goa Police Service SP and DySP are involved in the matter and are protecting the accused persons, including the main culprits Abhishek Mishra and Rajeev Arora who are benami partners with the powerful North Goa MLA. ALSO READ: Calangute cops paid Rs 2.5 lakh bribe per month, Delhi bizman Rajeev Arora under the lens?

While Goan media reports indicated that Rajeev Arora – often mentioned as a Delhi-based businessman in news reports, offered Souza Lobo owners Rs 40 crore to leave the property, a new name – that of Abhishek Mishra has cropped up. ALSO READ: Over 40 illegal ladies dance bars from Morjim to Nerul, Calangute PI admits he shut down 15 bars and 28 massage parlours

Mishra is also alleged to have threatened the Souza Lobo owners to ‘settle’ the matter or face the music.

ALSO READ: Gajendra alias Chotu Singh operates 12 illegal ladies ‘dance’ bars in the Vagator-Candolim belt

Mishra is associated with De Baga Deck restaurant at Candolim and is connected with politicians and ruling party MLAs in Goa. He is also alleged to have offered a huge sum of money to the owners of Souza Lobo to sell the property on behalf of the MLA.

Mishra is a “fixer” and is said to own illegal stakes in various restaurants, bars and nightclubs in the coastal belt. He is supposedly a ‘partner’ with the powerful MLA from North Goa who owns several restaurants and nightclubs and both Rajeev Arora and Mishra are fronts for the MLA, sources said. ALSO READ: Goa should focus beyond its beaches, project cultural, hinterland and heritage tourism

“Mishra’s role is that of a “collection agent” and “executioner” for the MLA and is said to be a sleeping partner with the MLA in his businesses. The MLA does not negotiate or talk to anyone, but Mishra and Arora are deputed for the job, our source said. If the owner party does not ‘negotiate’, then Bhomkar and Chotu are roped in to harass and threaten the property owners,” a prominent Calangute-based restaurateur told this reporter.

Gajendra alias Chotu Singh and Sunil Bhomkar are hired operators, who have spent a lot of time in jail and were given the supari to get rid of the Souza Lobo owners (by Arora and Mishra) at any cost, even if it meant bumping off someone.

ALSO READ: Calangute PS collected Rs 30 to 35 lakh per month in bribes, ‘hafta’ claims ex-cop

According to sources, both Rajeev Arora and Abhishek Mishra had approached the Souza Lobo owners to buy the property on behalf of the powerful MLA who was always in the background.

“He pretended that he was trying to help us. To bring peace between the concerned parties, but all the while, he wanted to buy our property,” one of the owners of Souza Lobo alleged. ALSO READ: Quepem politicians’ video clip in a compromising position with a call girl viral on social media

According to our source, the recent incident occurred when the concerned SP (who is part of the property-grabbing racket or a beneficiary of the same) was given charge of the area for a few days. “The SP was in charge for a few days and this incident occurred during that period,” our source said. ALSO READ: Souza Lobo case: Main accused trying to influence police, investigation

Meanwhile, the accused Sunil Bhomkar who was arrested from Nasik by the Goa Crime Branch on Sunday along with Gajendra alias Chotu Singh, are known pimps and have been operating prostitution businesses and illegal ladies dance bars in Goa for the last 12 to 14 years.

ALSO READ: SP paid Rs 5 lakh per month, cops ‘protecting’ criminal Ravikant Yadav, huge bribes involved

There are more than 18 to 20 cases relating to trafficking of women, PITA (Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act), solicitation for prostitution, running of illegal ladies dance bars, etc., pending against both Bhomkar and Chotu alias Gajendra Singh in the jurisdiction of the North Goa police department.

They also have pending cases of murder, attempt to murder, trafficking of women, bearing illegal arms, etc., in other states, particularly Uttar Pradesh, New Delhi and Rajasthan. ALSO READ: Milind Naik Sex Scandal Case: Victim Alleges Min Threatened To Kill Her

“It is surprising that such hardened criminals are permitted to do business in Goa and have a free run of the place,” a former cop posted at the Calangute PS said, adding that this would not be possible without the support of top politicians and cops. ALSO READ: Attack on Souza Lobo was ordered by a politician for Rs 3 crore election fund?

“When an SP, a DySP and other senior police officials, MLAs and ruling party politicians are involved, transferring or suspending a PI (Nolasco Raposo) and constables will not solve the problem,” our source said.

Even the Goa CM Dr Pramod Sawant was briefed about the matter, with details of the role of the MLA and involvement of senior police officials shared with the CM’s office, but no action was taken at that stage, our source confided.

ALSO READ: Is Siddhi Naik’s mysterious death a case of “honour killing”

Souza Lobo owner Jude Lobo has time and again stated that the Calangute police did not act against Arora and others.

“We asked them about the earlier cases of November 2020 and March 2021, they kept saying we are investigating, but there was no investigation happening at all. The police were under pressure or were being paid handsomely not to act against the culprits,” Lobo told a media outlet. ALSO READ: Politician from South Goa sexually exploiting married woman for last 1.5 years

“When I refused to sell, they planted cases against me in Delhi. I had to move the Supreme Court of India for bail, Jude Lobo,” has been quoted as saying.

The suspension of the Calangute PI and the arrest of mid-level history-sheeters Sunil Bhomkar, Chotu alias Gajendra Singh and other contract goons is just a face-saving measure to protect the MLA, other senior politicians and the top brass of the police, who have been playing ball with their political masters, revealed our source.