MARGAO
Burglars struck gold and silver in the commercial capital as Madgavkars woke up to hear the shocking news of a jewellery shop R S Anant Jewellers being robbed in the heart of the city Opposite Bank of India.
The burglars are believed to have laid their hands on gold and silver, valued around Rs 20 lakh in the market. Three other shops, including that of a blood testing lab, were also targeted by the miscreants.
Apparently taking advantage of the incessant overnight rains, the burglars barged inside the building opposite Bank of India, by cutting open the main gate. A Closed Circuit TV (CCTV) surveillance camera installed at the building entrance was tampered with as evident by the fact that the camera was facing towards the building.
The incident came to light on Sunday morning when the owners received a phone call from a doctor, whose clinic is located in the same building. The family members rushed to the building, only to find the collapsible gate cut. Their worst fears came true when they found the jewellery shop ransacked by the miscreants.
Ramesh Raikar told The Goan that around 350 grams of gold, which was in the shop had been robbed by the miscreants. After calculation, Ramesh claimed that the value of the stolen gold itself works out around Rs 16 lakh.
He further claimed that the burglars stole away silver, weighing around Rs 4.5 kgs, valued around Rs 3.50 lakh.
A relative of Ramesh informed that a necklace weighing 63 grams was one of the valuables which has been stolen by the miscreants.
“Most of the gold ornaments that have been stolen from the shop belong to the people who had brought the items for repairs and to make jewellery. The gold and silver had been lying inside the shop for quite some time in view of the pandemic”, he said.
Embarrassed by the daring burglary, which has only brought to the fore the security situation in the commercial capital, the Margao police launched a hunt to nab the culprits.
A forensic team and sniffer dog was pressed into service to gather clues in the investigations, but in vain.
Incidentally, the Margao Police put the initial loss on account of theft of the gold and silver items to Rs 1.75 lakh, with the police saying the estimate will go up after the owner gives details of the valuables.
Meanwhile, Savio Cotta, an analyst having a laboratory in the same told The Goan that the miscreants entered his lab and took cash around Rs 4000-5000. He further said two plastic chairs were also missing from the lab.
