Fatal love triangle: Man shot dead

Envy in love drives 24-yr-old to murder

By: Shiva Devnath
Date:  2011-04-28
Place: Mumbai

He allegedly killed a man trying to help out a common friend woo a girl they both loved; police on the lookout for accused.
A bloody love triangle came to light when the Nallasopara police embarked on a hunt for a 24-year-old who allegedly murdered a friend's friend over a girl. Anand Fose, allegedly shot an innocent boy, Swapnil Rodrigues, as he was helping Fose's friend, Aldrin Pereira, in his love affair with a girl, who Fose was also in love with, cops said. As per investigation, on Tuesday night, Fose and his friends, including Pereira, got drunk near a lake in Nallasopara. Fose had a heated argument with Pereira over the girl. Rodrigues, who was present at the get-together, intervened in support of Pereira. That is when Fose left to return with a country-made revolver.

Victim: Swapnil Rodrigues
According to the police, Fose first fired in the air to threaten Pereira to leave the girl alone and stay away from the two of them. At this point, Rodrigues stepped in to speak on behalf of Pereira, infuriating Fose. A scuffle ensued between the two and Fose fired a shot at Rodrigues, which he took in his stomach. Thinking that his friends would catch him and hand him over to the cops, he fired another shot in the air to keep them off. Then he made a run for it.
A friend who witnessed the scene said, "There have always been problems between the two over the girl. She stays in our neighbourhood, but she has been giving more attention to Pereira, which made Fose jealous. When he saw that Swapnil was trying to help Pereira woo the girl, he got mad. That is what made him shoot Rodrigues."
Cops have booked Fose for murder. Deputy Superintendent of Police (Thane Rural) Deepak Devraj said, "The deceased, Swapnil Rodrigues, stays at Ghaas village in Nallasopara West. Rodrigues and his friends had a regular habit of meeting up by the Ghaas talao to drink. Late on Tuesday night, he, Fose and four of their friends were drinking at the banks of the small lake when Fose got in an argument with Pereira. Later, Rodrigues got into the fray and was shot dead."
The victim was rushed to Alliance Hospital in the area where he was declared dead. "We have registered a case of murder and are trying to trace Fose. We have recovered a mobile phone and a gold chain belonging to Fose, which seems to have fallen down during the fight. We are trying to find the source of the gun," added Devraj.