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PANJIM: Skeletons are tumbling out of the closet into the nexus between
criminals and caretakers as police investigation has found that gangster Zenito Cardozo would smuggle juveniles out of Apna Ghar for crime and later lodge them back safely in connivance with the caretakers.
More so, the inmates would use caretakers’ mobile phones to allegedly keep in touch with Zenito.
“Children would freely use the mobile phones of caretakers. Our investigation Shows that the children would phone call Zenito. We are, however, verifying these inputs through call details”, a senior police officer said.
“Zenito’s car would be parked outside the remand home complex and children were sent to him. He would then secretly drop the children back to the remand home. Caretakers had full knowledge of the activity”, police said. It has also come to light that Zenito, who is denying his involvement in the nexus, would also supply motorbikes to juvenile inmates for committing robberies and other crimes. On the day of the raid, Sunday when four juveniles were trapped by the police, one of them had just stolen a motorbike to pick up his colleague from another spot. Director of the Directorate of Women and Child Welfare Sanjiv Gadkar, with the expose, admitted the involvement of his staffers in the criminal act. Meanwhile, Apna Ghar authorities are likely to be questioned by investigating agencies as to why inmates above 18 years are retained while the institution is meant only for minors. The shelter-cum-remand home has hundreds of juvenile delinquents and those in need of care and protection. However, despite many of them now major in age, are retained in the Home pending
repatriation. Sources say these children are also involved in several crimes.