TEMPLE THIEVES OUTSMART THE COPS

MAPUSA: In a rare incident the Mapusa police managed to reach a temple at Verla-Canca, while it was being burgled on Thursday night, however, the robbers managed to give the cops a slip. One of the alleged thieves was later arrested on Friday evening.

Police Dogs sniffing the place

According to the Mapusa police, some unknown miscreants entered the Wishwati Vishweshwar Shivshankar Devasthan at Canca, by breaking the locks of the gates and doors and entered inside the ‘garbhakhud’ and stole a pendant that was on the idol of Goddess Parvati.

However, while they were trying to steal the cash from the donation box, a police patrol team which was in the area found something suspicious and upon entering the temple, found the culprits and tried to nab them. Unfortunately, the culprits managed to give the police the slip.

However, in a late evening development, the Mapusa police arrested Sidappa Karbeti, a native of Belgaum, but staying at Mapusa, in connection with the temple theft. He was the one who had managed to break himself from the grip of a policeman while at the temple. The police had got a good look at his face and so his arrest followed.

In another case, burglars using the same tactic entered inside the Rastroli temple at Canca and took away three donation boxes.

While one was thrown just outside the temple, the other two were taken half a kilometer away, broken open by smashing stones on them and the cash inside was taken. The damaged boxes were thrown in the field and cash worth around ` 9,000 was stolen. A chopper was used to break the locks in the temples.

In the third case, culprits broke open the locks and opened the door of the village panchayat office of Verla-Canca and using duplicate keys, opened the cupboard and messed up with the files and important documents. They also opened the adjoining office of the talathi and messed up with documents here too. Nothing however was reported to have been stolen. Sarpanch, deputy sarpanch and other panch members, along with ZP member, Mr Manoj Korgaonkar, visited the sites and later a police complaint was filed. A dog squad was also pressed into service. Police officials as part of their investigations also visited the sites. PSI, Mr Uday Gawde is investigating. (NT)