MAPUSA
There appears to be no let-up to thefts and burglaries in Mapusa, with a masked gang going on a late-night burglary spree across the city and striking yet again — this time targeting the locked bungalow of a former Mapusa municipal chairperson Nutan Bicholkar at Ganeshpuri, Mapusa.
The latest break-in took place around midnight on Friday, September 4, but came to light only on Sunday morning when a domestic help arrived at the bungalow and found the main door open and its lock broken.
The family was away from Goa when the burglars struck.
The woman immediately alerted neighbours and informed Mapusa police. When police reached the bungalow, they found cupboards broken open and belongings scattered across the rooms. Cash and gold and silver ornaments worth 4 to 5 lakhs of rupees are suspected to have been stolen.
The bungalow was probably burgled the same night when 11 shops and a flat in Ganeshpuri was burgled.
On Friday night, the same gang allegedly went on a burglary spree, targeting 11 shops in the Mapusa market and a flat at Ganeshpuri.
With the former chairperson’s bungalow now added to the list, the gang appears to have moved with considerable confidence across different parts of the city.
The movements of the burglars at the bungalow were captured on CCTV cameras.
Police are now examining the footage in an effort to identify the five-member gang, all of whom were seen wearing masks.
The sequence of burglaries has also raised uncomfortable questions about security in Mapusa and whether criminals are beginning to operate with little fear of being caught.
The fact that a gang could allegedly break into 11 shops, a residential flat and, within the same burglary spree, target a prominent former civic office-bearer’s bungalow has caused concern among residents and business owners.
Police suspect that the gang may have targeted other locked houses and establishments in the area as well.
CCTV footage from the affected locations and surrounding areas is being examined to trace the movements of the suspects.
For residents and traders, however, the latest incident is yet another reminder that burglars continue to find easy targets in Mapusa — and the question now is how long they can continue striking before the police manage to stop them.
