Officers grill staff, widen CCTV search, and track escape routes in bid to nab unknown assailants
VASCO
Mormugao police have begun an intensive investigation into the armed dacoity reported at Chamundi Arcade in Baina, where a family was attacked with iron rods and valuables worth around Rs 35 lakh were looted in the early hours.
According to police sources, the entire staff employed by victim Sagar Nayak were taken in for questioning on Tuesday morning.
“The staff including his peon, drivers, labourers, office boys and loaders were taken by the Mormugao police team when they arrived to work,” said a source.
Officers reportedly conducted rigorous questioning and cross-verification of details, with South Goa SP Tikam Singh Verma remaining present until late night as the inquiry progressed. The staff is believed to have been taken to Margao or Verna for fingerprinting and forensic verification.
Police teams have also widened the CCTV search, scanning footage from the crime site and surrounding parts of Baina for clues. Investigators began collecting footage from shops and establishments along the Vasco–MES College stretch to trace movements of any suspicious individuals or vehicles possibly linked to the crime.
Sources said the police gained a significant advantage in this case due to the narrow time gap between the crime and the police response, offering what officers refer to as the “golden hour” of investigation.
Unlike previous burglary cases where incidents came to light only the next morning—after relatives found families tied up and houses ransacked—this case was reported almost immediately.
The dacoity occurred between 2 am and 3 am, and police teams reached the site by around 4 am, leaving the gang barely an hour to flee. This early start, investigators believe, has given them a better chance to chase actionable leads, analyse fresh evidence and track possible escape routes as the probe continues.
A case has been registered under Sections 331(3), 109, 351(3), 126(2), 310(2) read with 3(5) of the BNS, 2023, along with Section 8 of the Goa Children’s Act, against a group of unknown assailants who assaulted the victims, including a minor girl.
