MAPUSA
Porvorim Police late Friday night arrested Gauresh Kerkar, an accused who was absconding in connection with the theft of goods worth Rs 9 lakh from a rent-a-cab car parked by tourists from Telangana in the Panaji Church Square area. He was later handed over to Panaji Police.
The police received information that Kerkar was near Torda and a police team led by PSI Mayur Sawant under the guidance of Police Inspector Rahul Parab rushed to the site. On noticing the police, Kerkar tried to flee but the police chased and nabbed him. He was later handed over to the Panaji Police for further action.
The theft is reported to have taken place sometime between 10.30 pm on December 7, 2023 and 4.20 am on December 8, 2023, when the complainant Sridhar Reddy of Telangana and fellow tourists had gone to a casino after parking a rent-a-cab car in the Panaji Church Square area.
Thieves broke the left side window of the car and stole four bags containing Rs 2 lakh in cash, 2 MacBook laptops worth Rs 5 lakh, sunglasses worth Rs 70,000, and other items, all worth Rs 9 lakh.
On December 12, two suspects, Haider Riaz Khan (30) a resident of Bethora-Ponda and a native of Bengaluru, and Nizamuddin Mohammad Isaak Jalegar (25) also from Bethora, were arrested on the basis of CCTV footage. Stolen goods worth Rs 7 lakh were recovered from the two suspects and their car was also seized.
During interrogation, the two suspects revealed the identity of the third accused, Gauresh Kerkar. Accordingly, Panaji Police were in search of the suspect.
Kerkar is a history-sheeter, who has a total of 29 cases registered against him since 2008. Cases have been registered in Panaji, Porvorim, Ponda, Mapusa, Bicholim, Calangute and Pernem police stations in Goa, and also in Ratnagiri-Maharashtra.
Panaji police are conducting further investigation under the guidance of Police Inspector Vijaykumar Chodankar.
