PANAJI
The alertness of the night patrolling team helped the Mapusa Police solve a major theft case at a jewellery store, where a gang decamped with valuables worth crores.
The police arrested Harji Chouhan (26) and Bhawani Singh (18), both from Rajasthan, while two juveniles “ also from Rajasthan - involved in the crime were sent to Apna Ghar.
The heist, which occurred in the early hours of Sunday-Monday, was captured on CCTV at Nasnodkar Jewellers, showing three masked persons breaking into the store and fleeing with the loot.
“It was the vigilance of the night patrol team that led to the breakthrough,” North Goa Superintendent of Police Akshat Kaushal said while addressing a press conference at police headquarters on Friday.
“We began by reviewing the CCTV footage and found that the gang had attempted a break-in at the same shop the previous night as well. After going through several hours of footage, we identified three persons whose faces were fully covered to avoid identification,” he added.
Interestingly, the CCTV cameras at the shop were equipped with intelligent alert systems that notified the store owners but the information was not shared with the local police.
Nevertheless, the SP further said, the description matched two persons who had been stopped by the Mapusa night patrolling team around 3 am near the police station. Their suspicious behaviour prompted the police team to take their photographs.
“The clothes worn by these persons in the photos matched those caught on CCTV footage. This was a critical clue, as it helped establish their physical identity,” Kaushal said.
The police then began mapping possible escape routes the thieves might have taken, checking all roads leading to and from the Mapusa market. Teams were also dispatched to airports and railway stations. The SP said that footage from Thivim railway station showed the suspects boarding a train, after which the Konkan Railway police were alerted.
“Based on local intelligence, we suspected the perpetrators were from neighbouring states. Three teams were sent to Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan to follow up on any credible leads. The suspects were eventually caught near Kudal railway station while en route to their home,” Kaushal said.
Almost all the stolen property including gold and silver jewellery, a gold wristwatch and silver bars was recovered. The stolen items are estimated to be worth several crores. “This is one of the rare cases where the culprits were caught, and the property recovered, within just a couple of days,” the SP added.
According to the complaint filed by shop owner, Chandramohan Nasnodkar, the accused gained entry by breaking the ventilator grills and a wall in the loft area of the shop.
