While the residents caught hold of the rickshaw driver, one of the inmates in the vehicle made good his escape under the cover of darkness. Agitated residents refused to hand over the accused driver to the police demanding that they arrest the accused who had escaped from the vehicle.
The incident occurred at around 5 am when the accused lifted away construction material from a residential house. A local resident Brendra D’Silva told the media that the vehicle was carrying stolen items from her residence and was intercepted by her husband and relatives. “We had noticed thefts taking place at my house in the last couple of months. This morning, the miscreants tried to lift away the material, but were caught red handed by my husband and others,” she said.
As news spread in the village over the theft, locals demanded that the Maina Curtorim police first apprehend the culprit who had escaped from the rickshaw. Even as the rickshaw driver claimed innocence, the locals insisted that a gang of miscreants have been active in the village without any action from the authorities.
After much discussion, the Maina Curtorim police finally took the accused into custody and arrested him in the case.
