MAPUSA
While Mapusa police is yet to make a breakthrough in the robbery at the famous Shree Bodgeshwar Temple in Mapusa in the wee hours of Monday, security lapses have been exposed at the temple.
Four robbers stole cash of about Rs 10-12 lakh from two donation boxes at the Bodgeshwar temple, after confronting and tying the security guard.
A burglary had taken place in the temple in the wee hours of February 28, when two persons had broken open the Paduka Peti in front of the deity. However, both accused were arrested within hours of the crime.
After this burglary, police had instructed committees of all temples, including the Bodgeshwar temple, in the jurisdiction of Mapusa police area to empty the donation boxes every eight days to ensure only small amounts of cash are in the donation boxes and to set an alarm system.
However, going by the huge amount of cash stolen from the two donation boxes in the wee hours of Monday, it appears that the Bodgeshwar temple committee had ignored these instructions and had not emptied the donation boxes after eight days.
Moreover, the security guard, Dashrath Thakur (61), posted at the temple by the committee was found to be incapable to provide security services.
Meanwhile, Mapusa police are investigating the robbery from various angles. Police suspect that the robbery may have been committed by a gang which may have been recently involved in burglary cases elsewhere in the State and that they may be from outside Goa.
