CANACONA
Gold ornaments worth over Rs 30 lakh were burgled from one house and items worth Rs 2.5 lakh were damaged in another house, as burglars broke into three different houses on Friday night and Saturday night along the NH66 highway at Dapot-Maxem in Loliem.
According to sources, the house of Alleluio Rue Fernandes was burgled on Friday night and burglars damaged the doors, cupboards, suitcases and other items, causing a loss of over Rs 2.5 lakh. Some valuables including foreign liquor bottles besides some gadgets were also stolen.
The burglary came to light on Saturday, and a police complaint was filed, according to a relative.
On Saturday night, burglars struck two more houses situated in the same locality and stole gold ornaments worth over Rs 30 lakh in the house of Lelis D’Silva.
Besides gold ornaments, burglars decamped with several other valuables and costly belongings of the family.
It is believed that the family was on a vacation in Goa for a family member's wedding and had recently left abroad, leaving behind all valuables in the house.
The same night, the house of Natalina Corte was also burgled and while the rooms were ransacked, it was not clear what was stolen from the house.
Former Loliem-Polem panch and social worker Santan Da Costa voiced concern over burglaries in the locality.
“Everyone should remain alert as the targets are unoccupied houses. We fear that houses along the NH66 highway are under surveillance of some unscrupulous elements, who seem to survey the locality during day and strike at night. We request Canacona police to intensify patrolling and to round up suspicious characters frequenting residential localities,” said Da Costa.
Police sources sources said fingerprint experts were pressed into service and a forensic team has found some evidence at one of the 3 houses where culprits decamped with gold ornaments.
Police are also reportedly trying to match the two culprits found in the CCTV footage to the attempted theft at Benaulim, and investigate involvement of the same gang in the Canacona burglaries.
Police are also verifying CCTV footage of neighbouring houses and also from the petrol pumps in the area.
A source also claimed that Canacona police are likely to round-up 2-3 suspects as part of the investigation.
The source admitted that night patrolling had been affected lately in view of many police personnel deputed on election duty, and a shortage of personnel at the Canacona police station.
While police have now stepped up patrolling activities in the area, people in Canacona have been advised to inform the police of any suspicious movements in their localities and also to bring to the notice of police of closed and unoccupied houses, so that police can intensify patrolling of such houses.
