PANAJI
In a state already rattled by a surge in break-ins and dacoities, a burglar walked into a locked St Cruz apartment in broad daylight, emptied it of nearly Rs 25 lakh cash and jewellery in less than half an hour, and left unchallenged.
Four days later, Goa police are yet to offer concrete answers or identify suspects.
The intruder targeted two flats in the same building at Ubo Dando, St Cruz on the same day on November 14. The first break-in occurred in a narrow 20-25-minute window after the flat’s occupant, Kusum Chauhan, stepped out to pick up her child from school. Her husband, a contractor, was at a work site, while other family members were either at their business or hospital.
“I was out for hardly 20 minutes. When I returned, the latch was broken and the house was ransacked. The thief took Rs 15 lakh cash that my husband had received as business advance and all my jewellery worth around Rs 10 lakh. The cash included our personal savings as well. We worked for years to build this security, and it disappeared in minutes,” the complainant said.
The family alleged the intruder snapped the latch after failing to break the lock and decamped with the belongings.
Despite the high-value theft and a prompt complaint lodged at Old Goa Police Station, the family says there has been no progress. “The police, a dog squad and forensic team visited the scene. Since then, we are only being told they will catch the culprits,” the husband said.
The family has submitted CCTV footage showing a Bullet motorcycle rider wearing a helmet and a red backpack, whom they have identified as the prime suspect.
The intruder also attempted to force his way into the neighbouring flat, though nothing was stolen. But the incident has left the occupants shaken.
“My daughter came home barely 15 minutes after the break-in from school,” the male occupant of the neighbouring flat said adding “Imagine if she had walked in while the thief was still inside. We didn’t lose anything, but now we are worried about everyone’s safety.”
