Team Herald
PANJIM: A youth from Belgaum, staying in government accommodation in Altinho, is suspected to be involved in a spate of thefts in the locality. The Panjim police have arrested Steven Karabannavar after intercepting him moving suspiciously around the place during the late hours of Wednesday.
“He had come to Goa to visit one of his ailing relatives living in the government flat at Altinho. We have interrogated the original occupant of the flat and verifying whether the suspect was living with them or the flat was unofficially given to him to stay with his friends,” a police officer said not ruling out the possibility that the flat could have been illegally rented out to Steven and his 2-3 friends, also suspected as accomplices in the crime. The government employee to whom the flat is allotted is working at the Secretariat.
A team of Panjim police detained the suspect from the very area where theft incidents are being reported. The police initially chased and intercepted Steven for suspiciously moving around the area. PI Siddhant Shirodkar revealed that on being asked to produce the documents of the Goa registered car he was driving, the man failed to do so. During the search, the police team found that another number plate of Karnataka registration was hidden in it. “He failed to produce any identity proof of himself and documents of the Tata Indigo car which he was driving.
Upon searching his car, PSI Kishor Ramanan found a number plate and a Xerox copy of the RC book with the same number. The number plate displayed is fake,” the PI said.
The 22-year-old was soon taken to the police station and questioned about his presence at Altinho during the late hours. “He could not give satisfactory reply. In order to interrogate him in recent thefts at Altinho and to verify his involvement in other theft cases which remains undetected, the man was placed under arrest,” he said. The police have also written to the RTO to inquire whether the car that originally is registered in Karnataka is stolen. The PI said that the suspect changed the number plate to evade tax at the border. The team are also investigating whether the other persons with Steven are also involved in the offense.
While a couple of cases were reported in the recent past, a lady police constable’s flat at police quarters was also targeted by unknown burglar/s this week. However, no belonging was robbed although an attempt was made to enter the house. The Panjim police have intensified patrolling and instructed its teams for carrying out the vigil in five shifts. Various strategic points have also been identified where the police teams will place on record their visits.
