TEAM HEALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
MARGAO: A daring robbery by four masked miscreants in the heart of Navelim at Nagmoddem in the wee hours of Wednesday sent shockwaves in the village, even as the taluka recorded the second major case in the last 24 hours.
The robbery triggered outrage as the four robbers tied an elderly lady and gagged her, before relieving her of gold ornaments on her person. The incident occurred around 2.30 am when the victim Crescencia Carvalho had just returned to her bedroom from the toilet and was taking rest when she found to her shock and horror four persons encircling her bed. Before she could raise an alarm, one of the miscreants caught hold of her hands and tied them behind. “When I tried to cry for help, they gagged me by pushed bed sheets into my mouth. Without any delay, the accused relieved me of my gold ornaments on my person, including two bangles, finger rings and a chain,” Crescencia recalled. Police have put the value of the stolen gold ornaments, besides cash of Rs 2500 and a casio watch to Rs 2.08 lakh.
One of the accused made an abortive attempt to open the cupboard with the help of keys, while another accused ransacked another cupboard in search of booty. “They were in such a tearing hurry that they fled from my bedroom. May be, they thought I would breath my last as I was gasping for breath,” she said.
The incident came to light early morning when Crescencia’s son Romalino woke up, but could not come out of his room on the first floor after finding the door latched from outside. As he was proceeding to the ground floor after his daughter opened the room, Romalino found something suspicious as the place was found ransacked. His worst fears came true when he found his mother with hands and mouth tied with clothes.
Margao police said the four robbers effected entry into the bungalow by removing the window grill.
Incidentally, in Tuesday’s daring burglary at Uzro-Raia, unknown miscreants had successfully burgled a bungalow by removing the window grills.
Police said they are investigating into both the Raia burglary and the Navelim robbery.
