PORVORIM, JUNE 17
Vandals desecrated the statue of Vailankanni located on the pedestal alongside the Cross at the entrance of Moira village on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday.
The statue, made up of Plaster of Paris, was found detached from the pedestal located alongside the Cross and thrown in the field.
As soon as Mapusa police received the information about the incident, DySP Sammy Tavares and PI Rakesh Kumar rushed to the spot. Tivim MLA and Tourism Minister Nilkant Halarnkar also visited the site and took stock of the situation.
Speaking to media, Tourism Minister Halarnkar said as per the information given to him by the police, the miscreants must have tried to decamp with the statue thinking that it was made of ivory and gold.
“But, when they discovered that it was made of Plaster of Paris, they broke it and threw it in the field alongside the road. As the motive of the miscreants appears to be robbery, residents of Moira should not get disturbed by this incident and continue to maintain communal harmony,” said Halarnkar.
“Police have been advised to conduct the investigation and book the culprits,” added Halarnkar.
Police Inspector Rajesh Kumar said the incident came to light at about 6.30 am on Thursday when some residents from Moira noticed the statue has been desecrated. They immediately informed the police about the incident.
“Upon receipt of the call, we rushed to the spot and started the investigations. We have obtained finger prints and also pressed dog squad into service, but could not get any clue,” said PI Kumar.
“We have registered the offence under Sections 379 and 295 of Indian Penal Code,” added PI Kumar.
