the goan I network
BICHOLIM
An alert Bicholim councillor Vijaykumar Natekar foiled a robbery at his neighbour’s house in Housing Board Colony in Bordem-Bicholim in the wee hours of Tuesday.
Incidentally, a similar incident had taken place a few hours earlier at the Housing Board Colony in Sankhali.
According to Bicholim police, three robbers had broken into the house of Deepak Joshi at the Housing Board Colony in Bordem and had ransacked his house.
However, local BMC councillor Vijaykumar Natekar heard the noise and rushed to the house, only to find three robbers inside.
When he confronted them, one robber reportedly pointed a gun towards him. Natekar fled from the site and alerted neighbours, who then informed Bicholim police.
Bicholim Police Inspector Sanjay Dalvi and his team rushed to the site, but the robbers had disappeared by them.
Police said the Joshi family is out of station and an attempt had been made to burgle the house. Police said no valuables were stolen, even though the cupboards were damaged and the rooms ransacked.
Police believe that a fake gun may have been used to scare Natekar.
Incidentally, a similar incident was reported barely hours earlier at the Housing Board Colony at Sankhali, when three robbers broke into one house and had tried to steal valuables after breaking open the cupboards.
However, the house owner was alerted and he too confronted the robbers, but one of them had also pointed a gun at him. The robbers then fled from the site, after the house owner escaped and alerted the neighbours.
PI Dalvi confirmed that no police complaint has been lodged in both incidents.
Police suspect that one gang may be active in the area.
Meanwhile, former councillor Bhagwan Harmalkar has demanded additional police patrolling in the area, following the robbery incidents.
