THE GOAN NETWORK
PANAJI
The Crime Branch filed a 509-page chargesheet against five Bangladeshi nationals in the sensational 2025 Dona Paula dacoity in which an influential elderly couple was allegedly overpowered, tied to their bed and robbed at their residence.
The chargesheet also cites 30 witnesses in support of the prosecution case.
The case relates to the robbery at the Dona Paula residence of Jaiprakash and Padmini Dempo in April 2025, wherein the accused allegedly entered the house, overpowered the couple and tied them to their bed before fleeing with cash and jewellery.
The investigation had led police to a wider criminal network involving Bangladeshi nationals who allegedly travelled across states to carry out targeted home invasions. The probe revealed that some of the accused were from Bangladesh’s Bagerhat district and had criminal records in different parts of India.
The gang allegedly followed a carefully planned modus operandi, identifying residences in advance and striking during the early hours when occupants were most vulnerable. Elderly residents were allegedly restrained and assaulted, while gold and cash were targeted.
The breakthrough in the Dona Paula case came after the Delhi Crime Branch arrested members of the alleged Bangladeshi dacoit network in a midnight operation near Sarai Kale Khan in New Delhi. Six alleged gang members were arrested following an exchange of fire, with firearms, ammunition and house-breaking tools recovered from them. Two others allegedly escaped.
