VASCO: A school in Velsao fell victim to burglary on Thursday morning, with perpetrators making off with cash and goods valued at Rs 70,000. This incident marks the second burglary targeting a school in Mormugao taluka within three days, following a similar break-in at St. Theresa School in Mangor.
Principal Seby Braganza recounted the discovery of the burglary upon the arrival of the school’s MTS staff in the morning. The gates were found open, and locks on the principal’s cabin had been tampered with. The donation box, typically containing around Rs 30,000, and a fund for Xerox machine repairs were emptied. Additionally, DVRs for 16 channels were stolen, alongside the ransacking of drawers and the desecration of a monument of Infant Jesus. Braganza emphasized the need for security measures, urging the Education Department to provide security personnel to schools, regardless of their size, in light of recurring incidents.
Last year, thefts were reported in six schools across South Goa, with thieves targeting valuable items, including cash, CCTV and DVR systems. The rise in cases of thefts in schools had caused alarm among school authorities, parents, and residents, since the police have had no breakthrough in their investigations yet.
The schools that fell victim to thefts were St Jude’s High School, Regina Martyrum High School and Fr Basilio Andrade Memorial in Salcete, besides a higher secondary school at Dapot-Mashem and Shri Shradhanand Vidyalaya School in Canacona were also broken into.
