12 school burglaries reported in 6 months
PANAJI
Schools in Goa are reeling under fear with multiple theft incidents being reported in these six months. From October 2023 till date, around 12 incidents of burglaries in schools, especially those in South Goa, have been reported highlighting the loopholes in safety measures during non-school hours. In all these cases, thieves have decamped with cash, DVDs and other valuable assets, which were left unguarded post school hours. The parent teacher associations have appealed to police for night patrolling around schools.
With not a single arrest being made so far, the police and school authorities are considering the possibility of an organized gang being behind these incidents given the similarity in nature.
Fr Basilio Andrade Higher Secondary School, Majorda (Oct 12, 2023)
Unknown accused person affected entry into the school office and decamped with cash around Rs 20,000, besides the DVRs.
Regina Martyrum High School, Assolna (Oct 12, 2023)
The locks of the gate and doors of the rear side of the school were found damaged. The miscreants managed to lay their hands on cash of Rs 2.95 lakh. The miscreants also committed theft of two DVRs worth around Rs 40,000, totalling Rs 3.35 lakh.
Police said the cash of Rs 2.95 lakh, which has been stolen, pertains to the uniforms of the students.
Satyawati Soiru Angle Higher Secondary School at Dapot-Maxem, Canacona (Oct 17, 2023)
A burglar entered the office of the Higher Secondary School by breaking open the main door. He managed to gain direct access to the principal’s office, staff-room and administrative office, from where Rs 9,500 were stolen.
According to the complaint, a mobile and a smart watch was also stolen but a tablet located at the same place was left untouched. Incidentally, the school had a CCTV camera that recorded one person, with a covered face, entering and committing the burglary.
Shri Shadhanand Vidyalaya, Poinguinim, Canacona (Oct 18, 2023)
At this school, the burglary came to light when the lock of the main door was found broken. The locks of the principal's cabin and administrative office were also found broken along with the cupboard in the main office. Files and important documents were strewn in the room.
Cash of Rs 67,000 was found stolen from the UDC/Head Clerk's drawer, while cash of Rs 30,000 was stolen from the drawer of LDC/junior clerk. The culprits, however, did not touch a mobile phone and a tablet at the same place.
Goa Vidya Prasarak Mandal’s MIBK High School, Khandepar (Nov 03, 2023)
Burglars broke into and decamped with an amount of about Rs 2.80 lakh. The unknown suspects stole the DVR too. The theft occurred when the suspects broke open the lock of the headmaster’s office and broke the five cupboards there, to steal the cash. The cash was basically the examination fee collected from Class X students.
St Jude’s High School, Betalbatim (November 02, 2023)
As per report, the perpetrators made off with the school’s CCTV DVR and a sum of Rs 70,000 in cash from the school office. Here, police even roped in services of dog squad to aid in their investigation. The police suspect that it could be just one gang behind all the theft cases reported in South Goa schools.
Mahalakshmi High School in Kudnem, Bicholim (Dec 25, 2023)
As per the reports, unidentified thieves forcibly entered the premises of the school and broke into the school, ransacked the office drawers, and made off with a substantial amount of cash estimated to be between Rs 60,000 to Rs 70,000. The stolen cash included recently collected examination fees of Class X students.
Shri Shantadurga High School, Bicholim (Dec 29, 2023)
Unknown culprits on December 29 midnight burgled the office of the high school and decamped with a cash amount of around Rs15,000, a camera and a mobile. According to Bicholim police, thieves have now started targeting schools since they know there is a cash amount in schools which have been collected as the fees for SSC examination.
St Theresa School at Mangor, Mormugao (March 4, 2024)
The stolen items include Rs 1 lakh in cash and 4 DVRs valued at Rs 39,000.
Infant Jesus Academy School, Velsao (March 7, 2024)
Cash and goods worth Rs 70,000 were burgled from the school. The incident came to light after the school MTS staff arrived in the morning and found the gates opened.
An amount of Rs 30,000 was stolen from the donation box. Also, DVRs of 16 channels had been stolen and a monument of Infant Jesus was thrown down.
Keshav Smruti school, Dabolim (March 11, 2024)
Cash of Rs 50,000 and DVDs were found stolen.
