BICHOLIM: There have been increasing thefts in educational institutions where schools have been targeted by an organised gang of thieves. The modus operandi in all the thefts appears to be the same and hence the strong suspicion.
The latest school to fall victim to this string of thefts is Shri Shantadurga High School Bicholim, where thieves made good with Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 in cash. The school chairman stated that two person have been seen on the school CCTV cameras. Bicholim police had visited the school with a dog squad and conducted the panchanama. Luckily, Rs 3 lakh which was kept in the school, escaped the snare of the thieves. Four cupboards were ransacked by the thieves, the chairman told media.
Shantadurga high school is the ninth such institution to be targeted by the thieves in the recent past. On December 23, Mahalaxmi school Kudnem was targeted. Previously, a school in Mollem, Dharbandora was targeted. Police have so far got no leads on both the thefts.
In October 2023, four educational institutions were targeted by thieves. These included Regina Martyrum, Basilio Memorial Higher Secondary, a higher secondary in Dhapot,Canacona and ShradanandVidhyalaya.
In November 2023, money and CCTV from St Jude’s Higher Secondary, Betalbatim was stolen. Theft was also committed at Matoshri Baburao Khandeparkar Higher Secondary at Khandepar where Rs 2.5 lakh were stolen.
The police are suspecting an organised gang due to the striking similarity in all these thefts in institutions. Parents and school authorities are concerned at thieves targeting educational institutions. They have asked the police to enhance security and night patrolling. Police have assured to check the CCTV footages and coordinate with police from other states to nab the gangs.
