MARGAO: Margao police obtained an eight-day custody of the two robbers who broke into the house at Guirdolim and assaulted an elderly couple early on Sunday morning. They police have said the vehicle used for the robbery belonged to one Nandkishore Arolkar.
Briefing media persons Superintendent of Police Arvind Gawas said police have recovered all the stolen items from Anwar Shaikh and Sarfaroz Adam. “We have recovered a koita, one knife and one hammer that were used by the robbers to assault the victims,” said Arvind.
The police recovered Rs 45,000 of the Rs 50,000 stolen by the two robbers and also recovered all the gold ornaments stolen along with two gas cylinders, one oven and television set which were recovered from Reis Magos where they were hidden.
Both the robbers have been remanded to eight days police custody and police expect to get them to confess to some other thefts that have been reported in recent times but remained undetected.
“The modus operandi of entering the house by removing the roof tiles gave us a hint as to who the thieves could be,” said Arvind who disclosed that the Local Information Bureau officials narrowed down the suspects and zeroed on the two after checking their mobile locations.
“We pulled in special police personnel from Curchorem, Margao and Verna stations to crack down the case,” said Arvind.
He also said the police are ascertaining how the thieves got possession of the vehicle and added that Anwar Shaikh who was living in Porvorim claims to have taken it on rental basis.
Incidentally Joaquim and Maria Estibeiro waited till morning and then called out to one of the ladies living on rental basis in their house who in turn called another neighbour who then informed the police about the incident.
“The police broke open the door that was locked by the robbers and rescued us and we were brought to the hospital,” said Maria who is complaining of severe back pain as she was hit on the back by the robbers. The deep cut inflicted by the knife on her right led has been sutured and she is doing well except for the back pain, sources said.
Her husband Joaquim, who is in the male surgical ward, has received quite a beating and the black marks are visible on his hands and legs. He has sutures on his right thigh and left palm.
Police have booked the two robbers Anwar Shaikh and Sarfaroz Adam under Sections 394, 342 and 457 read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code for voluntarily causing injury in committing robbery, wrongful confinement and house breaking.
