Team Herald
Canacona: Canacona police have arrested a Karnataka native for attempting to rob the Shri Mallikarjun Temple at Shristal, Canacona, on February 8. The accused has been identified as Noor Mohamad, from Chitradurga, Karnataka, who was allegedly involved in several robbery cases in Goa, especially in churches and temples.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Mahesh Gaonkar informed that Mohamad and three others attempted to rob the temple on February 8 and he was arrested on March 8 at the Margao railway station. The three accomplices are still absconding.
Gaonkar further said that the accused was brought to the Canacona police station for interrogation on March 9. At first, the accused denied his involvement in the robbery attempt, but once shown video footage, he confessed to committing the crime. He also disclosed that his partners, hailing from Karnataka and Kerala, had settled in different parts of the country.
Gaonkar avoided disclosing the accomplices’ names as it would hamper investigations and stated that this was their second failed attempt to rob the temple.
He further said that the accused was severely injured during the robbery attempt and was taken to a private hospital in Margao, where he underwent treatment for two days. He failed to explain the cause of his injuries.
Meanwhile, the temple Mahajans congratulated Gaonkar and his team for arresting the main accused in the robbery attempt.
