MAPUSA
In a shocking incident early Friday morning, unidentified miscreants broke into the office of St Anthony’s High School in Duler, Mapusa and vandalised property, including furniture, a printer and a copier machine.
The Mapusa police reported that several documents were also destroyed during the attack.
The incident is believed to have occurred between 4 and 5 am.
It was discovered around 7 am when the school’s housekeeping staff noticed the damage and immediately informed the school authorities.
Upon arriving at the scene, police found the office in disarray, with files and documents scattered across the floor. Some papers had even been set on fire.
According to sources, the vandals forcibly entered the school by breaking open doors and windows. They targeted the front office, the manager’s cabin, and another room within the premises.
The extent of the damage suggests that the intent behind the attack was not robbery, as nothing valuable appeared to have been stolen. “It’s a very shocking incident. The police are inquiring into the matter, and hopefully, we will come to know the motive for the destruction,” said Brother Edmund Lemos, Chairman of the Managing Committee of St Anthony’s High School.
On account of the incident, the school remained shut for the day and all the students were sent home. Bro Lemos informed that the school will remain shut on Saturday too as a precautionary measure and will reopen only from Monday.
In response to the incident, Mapusa Police Inspector Nikhil Palekar and Deputy Superintendent of Police Sandesh Chodankar visited the school to assess the situation. A complaint has been lodged against unknown individuals under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and further investigations are underway.
The authorities are now working to identify the culprits and determine the motive behind this act of vandalism, which has left the school community and local residents deeply disturbed.
