Burglary in Malbhat
Crime: Daylight burglary
Victim: Jessica Fernandes
Place: Near Hari Mandir, Malbhat-Margao
Date: February 18, 2013
Police station: Margao
Incident: The incident occurred when the inmates had headed to Panjim for some personal work after locking the second floor apartment. When they retuned around noon, the owner found to her shock and surprise that the latch of the main door broke open. Upon inquiry, the inmates found that the burglars managed to lift away gold ornaments worth over Rs 7 lakh.
Status of Investigation: Margao police have failed to achieve a breakthrough in the daylight burglary. While the police had blamed the chaddi gang for the spate of night burglaries, the cops now are investigating whether the daylight burglary is the handiwork of a splinter group of a Pune-based gang.
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Human trafficking
Victim: A 19-year-old girl
Place: Warkhande-Ponda
Date: December 31, 2012
Police Station: Ponda
Incident: A case under Immoral Trafficking Act was registered against three persons after a 19-year-old girl from Pune filed a police complaint. The girl in her complaint claimed that she was forced into prostitution at a flat in Warkhande Ponda and was also taken to various hotels in South Goa for prostitution. The girl was shifted to Margao and was reportedly rescued by the Ponda unit of Shiv Sena.
Status of Investigation: All the three accused in the case have been arrested. Police arrested Virendra Kannur of Karnataka, but residing in a flat at Warkhande, where the girl was confined for about 10 days. Soon, Ponda Police arrested Smitha alias Pooja alias Pinky Kanaskar of Mumbai from Margao and rescued another girl. Police said Kanaskar used to supply girls for prostitution.
According to police, the main accused, Mohammad Maqsood Rehman (28), known as Babu Bengali, was arrested by Panjim women police after a girl lodged a complaint against the accused of harassment. Babu Bengali is a native of Kolkata, West Bengal, and was residing at Panjim. Police said Rehman is a pimp and has been operating in the State since the last 5 years.
