PANAJI
The Goa police have found that the accused involved in the St Cruz daylight break-in used a portion of the stolen Rs 25 lakh to purchase a second-hand Grand Vitara, even as he disposed of the stolen jewellery soon after the crime.
North Goa SP Harishchandra Madkaikar stated that the police discovered the accused, Lokesh Sutar, a 31-year-old farmer from Sangli, Maharashtra, had diverted the proceeds of the burglary to purchase the vehicle outside Goa.
“During the investigation, it was revealed that the accused had purchased a second-hand Grand Vitara with the stolen money. It was purchased from a dealer outside Goa, and is now attached. The gold ornaments involved in this crime were sold to a goldsmith and will also be recovered,” he said.
Sutar had allegedly broken into a locked apartment in St Cruz in broad daylight on November 14, fleeing with Rs 10 lakh in cash and jewellery valued at Rs 15 lakh within less than 30 minutes. Old Goa police said he attempted to force his way into an adjacent flat before the complainant Kusum Chauhan’s apartment that morning, but could not get anything to steal.
He was tracked down to Kottalgi, Karnataka, where he was hiding after the break-in. A team apprehended him and brought him to Goa on transit remand. He was arrested and remanded to three days of police custody. The SP said they are working to recover the stolen gold ornaments sold to a goldsmith.
