Stolen Bethany Convent trophies reduced to scrap

MARGAO, JULY 12
Just imagine when near two-and-half decade of hard work of students in the sporting arena is simply reduced to scrap.
Indeed, dozens of trophies and shields won by students of Bethany Convent high school at the State and national level sporting events have been left damaged. Brass component of the trophies and shields won by this school in the village of Sao Jose de Areal was sold as scrap to a Vasco-based dealer after they were burgled by miscreants last week.
No doubt, the Maina Curtorim police cracked the theft case with the arrest of an accused, Sanjay Rathod, but the recovery of the stolen items in damaged condition may not be good news for many, when the trophies were won by the institute over the last 24 years by sheer hard work of the students.
School headmistress, Sr Ida Lobo says the school will ask for the return of the trophies from the custody of the police and explore the possibility of restoring the shields to its original condition. “I have no personally seen the recovered items, but our PTA members, who were called to the police station have seen the items”, she said.
Sr Ida, however, had a word of praise for the men-in-uniform manning the Maina Curtorim police station. “The police certainly deserves praise for achieving a breakthrough not only in solving our case, but for cracking the Cuncolim Temple burglary case. “Two of the Temple burglaries in Cuncolim stands solved along with our case. The arrest of the accused may help in solving other such cases”, she added.
Says Maina Curtorim Police station incharge, PI Sidhant Shirodkar: “The accused has damaged the trophies with a stone so that the brass component can be disposed to a scrap dealer. The management of Bethany School convent has said they will take possession of the damaged trophies”.
The Maina Curtorim police have obtained a seven days police remand for accused Rathod. The police are also on the look out for Rathod’s accomplice to throw light on many cases of thefts, including thefts that have occurred in places of worship across the State.