Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji
Panaji, Jun 23: In a significant breakthrough against an interlinked extortion racket operating in North Goa, Bicholim Police have arrested five individuals, including two key accused — Salman Khan (26) from Corlim and Maksud Khan (29) from Ponda — for their involvement in multiple criminal cases, including extortion and criminal intimidation.
The duo was apprehended after allegedly restraining a man and demanding ?10 lakh from him. They reportedly fled when the victim alerted the police, but were swiftly traced and arrested by law enforcement teams.
North Goa Superintendent of Police Rahul Gupta, addressing the media on Monday, confirmed that the arrests are part of a larger crackdown on an organised gang active across Bicholim, Porvorim, and surrounding areas. “We have registered two FIRs and arrested five individuals who are all part of the same gang,” Gupta said.
The investigation began with a complaint filed on February 2 by a construction contractor, who told Porvorim Police that he had been threatened and forced to pay ?1 lakh. In his statement, the complainant named Tarzan Parsekar, Sagar Patil, and three unidentified persons. That case led police to uncover connections to another extortion incident reported on June 8 in Bicholim, where two victims were threatened by a group of men travelling in a black car and on a motorcycle.
Following the arrest of Salman and Maksud Khan, police interrogations led to the capture of three more suspects: Tarzan Parsekar, Sagar Patil, and Sanish Ghatwal.
SP Gupta described the bust as a coordinated effort involving multiple police stations, with personnel from Bicholim, Porvorim, and Pernem working together to nab the accused. “Our teams pursued the leads continuously for over 12 hours and eventually tracked the suspects to Pernem. They attempted to escape but were caught after a high-speed chase,” he said.
Police sources revealed that Tarzan Parsekar is a known history-sheeter and has been arrested in at least nine previous cases, including an attempted murder case (FIR 161/22 under Section 307 of the IPC) in Anjuna. His bail, along with co-accused Sagar Patil’s, was cancelled earlier this year by the High Court after they failed to appear in court and reportedly absconded to Nepal.
All five arrested individuals have been booked under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Sections 126(2), 308(5), 351, and 352, along with Sections 3–5, which deal with extortion, criminal intimidation, and conspiracy.
The arrests mark a major success for district police, who believe dismantling this gang will help curb rising incidents of extortion targeting local businessmen and contractors.