VASCO
Cash and goods worth Rs 70,000 were burgled from the Infant Jesus Academy School at Velsao, and this is the second such burglary at a school in Mormugao Taluka within four days.
According to School Principal Seby Braganza, the incident came to light after the school MTS staff arrived in the morning and found the gates opened.
"When one staff came at around 7.10 am, he found the gate opened and two locks of the principal’s cabin opened. We realised that our donation box had been opened and cabins ransacked. We usually get donations from people. The box is opened in April, and we usually have around Rs 30,000,” said Braganza.
“We also have a small money box to collect money from people who come to xerox documents from outside the school and this fund is opened at the end of the year for the repairs of Xerox machines. We realised that the DVRs of 16 channels had been stolen and all my drawers are ransacked. A monument of Infant Jesus was thrown down. Some money from other drawers have been taken by the burglars " said Braganza.
Students were made to wait outside the Infant Jesus Academy School at Velsao for about two hours.
“Our staff rushed to the Verna police station to lodge a complaint but they reached the school after an hour. The forensic team reached after two hours and all students had to wait outside since the police told us not to let students enter the premises,” said School Principal Seby Braganza.
"A few days ago, we had a burglary at St Theresa School and our neighbouring St Thomas school also faced the same issue on January 6. Some months back, such incident had happened in schools at Velim and even Dharbandoda.”
Claiming that the modus operandi is the same in all recent burglaries at school, Braganza said burglars steal the money and also decamp with the DVRs so that there is no proof to reveal any identity on CCTV footage. “It is a request to the education department that irrespective of the strength of the school, a school should be given security because every now and then such incidents are taking place.”
Social worker Roquezinho DSouza suspected a gang had been targetting schools and requested the government to provide security to schools through the Human Resources Development Corporation.
