MAPUSA
Six months after a daring armed robbery at Nagalli Hills in Dona Paula, Goa Police are yet to make a breakthrough in identifying or arresting the culprits who tied up and looted an elderly couple from the prominent Dempo family in April this year.
The incident, which occurred in the early hours of April 20, saw three to five masked men armed with knives break into the couple’s bungalow after overpowering the security guard.
The intruders tied up 77-year-old Jaiprakash Dempo and his 71-year-old wife Padmini, ransacked the house and escaped with cash and jewellery worth several lakhs of rupees.
The gang reportedly removed the DVR of the home CCTV system, indicating a well-planned and professional operation.
Police suspect the involvement of an inter-state gang, though no concrete leads have emerged despite forensic analysis, neighbourhood CCTV scrutiny and multiple police teams working on the case.
Panaji Police and the Crime Branch launched parallel investigations, collecting fingerprints and examining footage from nearby establishments, but most entry and exit routes were found to be blind spots.
The couple was rescued by their domestic help the following morning and has since recovered from the trauma. However, residents of the upscale Dona Paula neighbourhood say the unsolved case has left them anxious.
“This was not a random theft. It was an organised crime carried out with precision. The fact that it remains unsolved for months is deeply worrying,” said a local resident.
