Goa Police Launch Manhunt After Casino Director Targeted in Porvorim Shooting
Two men fired at casino director Srinivas Nayak in Porvorim; he escaped unhurt. Police have launched a manhunt; Congress raises law and order concerns.
Goa Police have launched a search operation to trace two unidentified men who opened fire on the director of a casino group outside a hotel in Porvorim on Friday night. The incident occurred around 8:45 p.m. near a five-star property, which is located close to the local police station.
Superintendent of Police (North Goa) Harishchandra Naik confirmed that the two men fired three rounds at Srinivas Nayak, director of Majestic Pride Hotels and Resorts. Nayak, who was seated in his car with his bodyguards at the time, escaped unhurt.
CCTV footage from the location shows the two men waiting near the hotel gate before firing at Nayak's car. His security personnel returned fire, forcing the assailants to flee the scene. A senior police official said a massive manhunt has been launched to apprehend the duo.
Speaking to the media, Nayak confirmed he was safe and unhurt. Majestic Pride operates an offshore casino and the five-star property at Porvorim where the incident took place.
The opposition Congress has reacted sharply to the shooting, claiming it reflects a collapse of the law and order situation in the coastal state. Goa Congress chief Girish Chodankar noted that the firing occurred just metres away from the Porvorim police station, questioning the safety of ordinary citizens if such incidents can take place in the vicinity of a police station.
Chodankar also remarked that even those perceived as close to the BJP establishment are not safe, adding that "Goa deserves safety, not fear. Security, not gunfire."