MAPUSA
Four persons who stole cash of about Rs 10-12 lakh from the Shri Dev Bodgeshwar temple in Mapusa, after confronting and tying the security guard in the wee hours of Monday, were arrested in Khopoli-Maharashtra.
Cash of Rs 7 lakh, three mobile phones and three screw drivers have been seized from the suspects, while one of the accused had allegedly deposited cash of Rs 1.33 lakh in the bank account of a relative in Bangladesh.
The accused have been identified as Raju Farat Sheikh (27) a native of Bangladesh but residing at Kolkata, West Bengal, Imran Shaheed Sheikh (24) of Surat, Rakib Kulmohamed Sheikh (28) of Surat and Mujahid Gulzar Khan (28) of Pune.
The robbery at the Shri Dev Bodgeshwar temple in Mapusa had been captured on CCTV camera. During investigations, police found out that the robbers went towards Sawantwadi via Patradevi in the morning.
Mapusa police then got information that similar incidents had been reported in Maharashtra. The Mapusa police then pass on this information to the Maharashtra police.
Khopoli police intercepted the accused between Sawantwadi and Kolhapur on April 30 and they had cash of Rs 7.02 lakh at the time. Three mobile phones, three screwdrivers and other items were also found.
Khopoli police then alerted the Mapusa police that the four accused had been arrested.
Police investigations also revealed that one of the suspects, Raju Farat Sheikh, had deposited Rs 1.33 lakh in the bank account of a relative in Bangladesh.
During police interrogation, the suspects are reported to have revealed they had broken into the Dev Bodgeshwar Mandir (Mapusa) on April 29.
Prior to that, the accused had broken into Sri Bahiri Dev Mandir near Tej Farm House in Khopoli (April 25), the Shree Hanuman temple at (Sheelphata-Khopoli), Panchayat temple (Khalapur), Jain temple (Shirur-Pune), Shree Swami Samarth temple at Titwala-Maharashtra (April 26).
District Superintendent of Police Somnath Gharge stated that the accused were living in CBD, Belapur. After investigations by the Maharashtra Police, the four suspects will be handed over to Mapusa Police for investigations.
