PANAJI
Video surveillance cameras, installed by Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited, and tireless investigation by eight joint teams of Panaji police and Crime Branch, led to the solving of a high-profile theft case in the JMFC Court at Altinho.
The police arrested practicing lawyer Mujahid Shaikh, for decamping with valuables from the evidence room on Tuesday night. The 2015-year pass out from a reputed law college in Panaji, Shaikh has been in conflict with the law on two previous occasions too.
Superintendent of Police (North Goa and Crime Branch) Nidhin Valsan said the accused from Valpoi has confessed to the crime.
"He walked into the Court building around 5pm on Tuesday and hide in the toilet. When the doors were locked (by the guards) after the Court's working hours for the day, the accused came out of the toilet and went to the evidence room from where he stole away cash and gold which were in sealed envelopes. He has confessed to the crime," the officer said in a late-night press conference held at Panaji police station on Thursday.
The accused was brought to the police station after his arrest from Ponda for investigation.
As reported by The Goan, the thief conducted a recce of the area four days prior to striking the evidence room. Valsan said that being a criminal lawyer, the accused was aware of sealed Court properties stored in the Court custody. "After the crime, he jumped out of the Court building at around 9:30 pm on Tuesday itself. The matter came to light the following morning," he added.
After scanning through the CCTV cameras installed around the city as a part of the Smart City project, the police teams were able to zero in on Shaikh who initially tried to mislead the former by changing his escape route.
The accused is previously involved in a fatal accident and rioting cases at Valpoi. The IPS officer said that Shaikh has been practicing in Goa, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh. However, he presumed stealing the valuables will be easy money-making trick to procure immovable properties.
The JMFC on Wednesday deferred hearings after the matter came to light followed by police investigation. As per security cameras in the court, a man dressed as a lawyer and carrying a shoulder bag walked in the building but did not exit until late night when he decamped with the booty.
The hearings in the JMFC resumed on Thursday.
