MAPUSA
In a chilling pre-dawn dacoity that has sent shockwaves across the State, a gang of five to six masked robbers broke into the bungalow of a doctor couple at Ganeshpuri-Mapusa, held the family hostage for nearly two hours at knifepoint, and escaped with jewellery and cash worth around Rs 50 lakh.
The incident occurred between 3 am and 5 am on Tuesday at the residence of Dr Mahendra Ghanekar and Dr Anuradha Ghanekar, both attached to the North Goa District Hospital (Asilo). At the time of the break-in, the couple’s 14-year-old daughter and Dr Ghanekar’s 80-year-old mother were also present in the house.
Hostage ordeal
The robbers, armed with knives and iron rods, are believed to have gained entry into the bungalow by cutting open the grill of a side window. One of them entered through the opening and unlatched the main door to allow the others in.
Dr Ghanekar’s elderly mother, who usually wakes up early was preparing tea for herself when the robbers entered, was the first to come face-to-face with them. The gang reportedly helped themselves to tea and fruits from the refrigerator before waking the rest of the family.
The assailants tied up the family members with bedsheets and gagged their mouths with pillow covers before threatening them to hand over valuables.
Although the dacoits allegedly slapped and intimidated the victims to extort more money, no one sustained serious physical injuries.
“The burglars were speaking in Hindi and had covered their faces. Their behaviour and precision clearly showed they were professionals,” said Dr Nutan Dev, mother-in-law of Dr Mahendra Ghanekar, who rushed to the scene after learning of the incident.
Calculated crime
The robbers escaped with cash and gold ornaments valued at nearly Rs 50 lakh, along with four mobile phones and the family’s car – a move seemingly aimed at delaying police pursuit. The vehicle was later found abandoned under the Mandovi bridge in Panjim, around 12 km away.
Police believe the dacoits were professionals, as the stolen mobile phones were later found discarded within 100 metres of the house – suggesting the thieves intentionally threw them away to avoid being tracked.
Swift police response
Soon after the incident was reported, teams from the Mapusa Police Station, crime branch and forensic department reached the site. A dog squad was deployed to track the trail and fingerprint experts collected samples from the scene.
Police examined CCTV footage between Ganeshpuri and Guirim. They noticed that two cars were seen speeding towards Panaji at around 5.15 am and one of them appeared to be a car resembling Dr Ghanekar's vehicle.
Accordingly, the police alerted the Porvorim and Panaji police.
Police investigations revealed that as many as seven involved in the robbery had travelled in a car, with two of them having arrived earlier from Belagavi.
Police believe that after the robbery, five of them fled in their vehicle while the other two drove Dr Ghanekar’s car and after abandoning the vehicle, proceeded to the Panaji bus stand.
They then hired a taxi and proceeded to Belgaum. The taxi reached Belgaum at about 8.30 am, and returned to Panaji at around 11.30 am. The police have recorded the statement of the taxi driver who had taken two of the robbers to Belagavi. Police teams have also been sent to Belagavi, Bengaluru and Kolhapur.
Senior officers including DGP Alok Kumar, SP (North) Rahul Gupta and DySP Wilson D’Souza later visited the residence to take stock of the incident.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Mapusa MLA Joshua D’Souza and local councillors also visited the victims later in the day.
A senior police official confirmed that multiple teams are working to identify the culprits.
“We are piecing together all available evidence and pursuing leads. This was a planned operation, and we are confident of tracking down the gang soon,” the officer said.
Shock in high-profile neighbourhood
The crime has caused deep concern in the upscale Ganeshpuri residential area, which is home to several prominent professionals, including doctors and businessmen.
The Ghanekar residence is adjacent to that of Dr Colvalcar, another well-known local physician.
“The burglars worked very quietly – the way they cut the window grill shows they took every precaution to avoid making noise. We are only relieved that no one was physically harmed,” said Dr Dev.
Family sources said the Ghanekars remain in shock after the traumatic ordeal.
The daring dacoity, carried out in a tightly packed, elite neighbourhood, has rattled the conscience of Mapusa residents and raised serious questions about security in the area.
