MARGAO
Burglars made merry in the commercial capital late Saturday night as they successfully targeted around half-a-dozen offices, including clinics of doctors, in a complex situated right behind the Margao district police headquarters.
The incident may leave the men-in-uniform embarrassed and red-faced as the offices were burgled meters away behind the Margao police station.
The police also came under fire from the victims for the inordinate delay in making their presence felt at the spot.
The incident came to light on Sunday morning when outgoing Margao Municipal Council councillor Glen Andrade came to his office, only to find the cupboard open. His worst fears came true as cash of around Rs two lakh, which was kept inside, went missing. To his shock and surprise, Glen found the adjoining clinics of surgeons also open. When he went upstairs, he came across the lab of Dr Babita Prabhudesai also open.
“When I entered the office, the lock was hanging on the latch. It was only when he entered inside and found the cupboard ransacked, I realized that it was the handiwork of miscreants. They have stolen cash of Rs two lakh from my office,” he said.
Dr Babita Prabhudesai said the burglars lifted cash of around Rs 50,000 from her office, adding that the miscreants also stole the digital video recorder from a CCTV camera installed inside.
She said a DVR from the CCTV camera of an adjoining office was also stolen, adding that the CCTV camera installed outside was turned upside by the miscreants.
What had left Babita and other victims upset and angry was the attitude of the Goa police to reach out to the victims. “We have been waiting here for the last two hours hoping for the early arrival of the police officers, but in vain. Since the police officers could not come immediately, we wore gloves just to open the door of our offices,” she said.
Dr Babita wondered what would be the plight of the common man hit by burglaries if the police take hours to attend to the complaints lodged by doctors and citizens, who have been representatives of the people.
“Since the time of the cold-blooded murder of Swapnil Walke, the city has witnessed incidents of burglaries. We have seen today the lackadaisical attitude of the police. Not a single police officer came to meet us for two long hours. Just imagine the plight of the common man,” she said.
