Mapusa police on Friday registered a case of theft against unidentified accused for stealing Rs 40,000 from the office of St Jerome church.
According to the police the thieves entered the church by cutting the iron grills of a window. It may be recalled that in a similar incident, early last month, Old Goa police had registered an FIR against an unidentified person for stealing Rs 55,000 and some recording equipment from the office of the Se Cathedral.
The modus operandi in both the cases appears to be the same as the window grills were cut to gain entry. There could be a gang of robbers who are operating and targeting religious places which is usually deserted during the night time. It seems prudent for churches to avail the services of a security firm so that security personnel are posted at the church premises during the night time.
CCTV footage can at the most assist in the investigation after the crime has been committed and may not even act as a deterrent to such a crime.
There have been instances when the CCTV cameras have been covered by a black cloth or turned upside-down by the culprits in order to prevent the footage of the illegal act from being captured.
Only the presence of security personnel posted at the church premises can prevent such thefts.
