Panaji, Feb 22 (IANS) A gangster who had been hired to kill Goa Home Minister Ravi Naik and his kin escaped from judicial custody Tuesday, police said.
Michael Fernandes had confessed to the police last year that he had been offered a ‘supari’ (contract) to kill Naik and his sons Roy and Ritesh by another Goa-based extortionist Joeboy.
‘We were taking him to the hospital, when he escaped. He jumped from the prison van and made off on a motorcycle which was tailing the prison vehicle,’ a police officer said.
The incident occurred near the Chicalim junction, when Michael, who is in judicial custody at the Sada sub jail, was being ferried to a hospital near Panaji.
‘A massive manhunt has been launched to capture the accused,’ a police spokesperson said.
Michael has neary two dozen criminal cases against him, including charges of dacoity, assault and robbery.
Michael was arrested in a theft case in September last year.
