Amboli cops surprise Keenan's dad with flowers on his birthday

Valerian Santos, whose son and his friend were murdered in 2011, with Senior PI Gaikwad, PI Sargar, PI Sharma, API Nagpure, API Gaikwad, API Kalamkar, PSI Borate, PSI Palve and PSI Sontakke and beat marshalls, on Tuesday

In a goodwill gesture and to win over the confidence of Keenan Santos's family, a team of officers from Amboli police station headed by senior inspector Bharat Gaikwad paid them a surprise visit on his father Valerian Santos's 60th birthday on Tuesday. The family is elated over the approach of the cops and happy about the fact that a constable has been deployed outside their residence and patrolling increased in the area. mid-day in its May 17 edition had highlighted that the family was fearing for their safety after they learnt in April that the prime accused in the Keenan-Reuben murder case was granted furlough for 14 days.

Speaking to mid-day, Valerian said, "Senior PI Gaikwad along with his team paid a surprise visit with a bouquet of flowers on my 60th birthday. We are so happy with this kind gesture. A constable has been deployed outside my residence and patrolling has been increased in the area. Now we feel safe and secure. I am thankful to the Amboli Police and mid-day as well for highlighting my concerns."

"I along with my entire team paid a surprise visit to Keenan's family on Valerian's birthday. We want him to know that the police are always there to safeguard him and his family. The step was taken to win the family's confidence as they have been fearing for their safety," said Gaikwad. He further said, "Once the accused is released on furlough, we will increase security and patrolling in the area. My team is in touch with the jail authorities. They will intimate us a day prior to his release." Earlier in April, after prime accused Jitendra Rana was granted furlough, Valerian had written to the Amboli and DN Nagar Police for protection as he feared for his family's and witnesses' safety. But even after repeated requests nothing was done.

The case

Rana and three others had murdered Keenan and Reuben outside Amboli Bar and Kitchen restaurant on October 20, 2011, when they opposed to the accused and his friends molesting their female friends. In May 2016, the sessions court sentenced Rana and three others - Satish Dulhaj, Sunil Bodh and Deepak Tival - to life imprisonment. However, the Bombay High Court in April this year allowed Rana to leave prison on furlough for 14 days. Time and again, the families of Keenan and Reuben have said that Rana threatened them with revenge. He also threatened the witnesses who lived in the same neighbourhood. Those families had also written to the police commissioner and sought protection.

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