Team Herald

PANJIM: The mysterious man who terrorised a plush residential colony in Dona Paula for nearly three months was finally arrested on Friday in less than 48 hours of police registering a criminal offence. As residents now breathe a sigh of relief, Panjim police have exposed a string of security lapses within the complex that resulted in the incidents.

Tulsidas Shirodkar, a 35-year-old unemployed man would allegedly enter the flats in the private residential colony during the late hours and watch the women sleeping. According to a police complaint filed by a 29-year-old woman, and signed by nearly 15 residents, the man, who was unidentified until his arrest, would also take away cash and women’s inner wear. 

After a massive manhunt and patrolling around the huge complex, PI Siddhant Shirodkar said that the special team zeroed in on Tulsidas taking into account his obscene behaviour with women in the locality.

“Our team members kept a watch all along the vicinity and questioned people for leads. We managed to track down the accused after a description provided by a witness and behaviour that he makes obscene gestures whenever he sees women. On interrogation, the man confessed that he committed the crime in the Dona Paula colony,” the PI told reporters, soon after taking the man into custody. 

“During the initial interrogation he told us that he entered the society’s basement and through the staircase he went to the first floor. He would climb the second floor through a small gap on the first floor,” the officer said, quoting from the man’s confession, which has also exposed major security lapse by the society.  

While his detailed questioning will be held after a medical examination, PI Shirodkar said Tulsidas will be taken for an examination at the Institute of Psychiatric & Human Behaviour. Information gathered so far reveals that the man lives alone in a small house that also has many dogs. The search team raided the house to recover only an innerwear.

The police recorded the statement of the lone witness disclosing of Tulsidas entering the premises while testimony of other witnesses will soon be recorded. 

As far as the security of the Dona Paula society is concerned, police have reprimanded the concerned pointing that despite four private security guards, the accused was able to sneak into the complex. Moreover, the society did not have CCTV cameras installed before the incident and the rear portion of the complex is open and unguarded. It has also come to light that the staircase of the buildings is unguarded. 

The incident had created fear among residents of the nearby residential colonies/societies prompting police to hold impromptu meeting allaying apprehensions on the safety of the residents.