Mapusa: Over 48 hours after the daring armed dacoity in the bungalow of a prominent doctor at Ganeshpuri in Mapusa, the police remained tight-lipped about the ongoing investigation, even as efforts intensified to track down the suspects, who are believed to have fled the state.
According to reliable sources, the police managed to trace the taxi driver who allegedly ferried the dacoits to Belagavi in Karnataka after they abandoned in Panaji the getaway vehicle – car of Dr Mahendra Ghanekar – after burgling his bungalow.
The driver’s statement has been recorded, and the taxi was examined by forensic experts on Wednesday. CCTV footage from multiple locations is said to have provided significant leads in the investigation.
Police teams have been dispatched to neighbouring states as part of a wider manhunt. Belagavi is currently a focal point of the Goa police’s search, as the suspects were last traced to the city. It is suspected that after reaching Belagavi, the accused split up and may have dispersed to different cities in Maharashtra and Karnataka.
Meanwhile, a delegation representing the Ganeshpuri Residents Society met with deputy superintendent of police Wilson D’Souza on Wednesday to express their concerns over the incident.
In a memorandum submitted to the police, the residents stated that the robbery has instilled fear and anxiety within the community. They urged the police to take immediate and proactive steps to ensure the safety and peace of the area.
As a precautionary measure, residents have decided to install IP cameras at key locations across Ganeshpuri in coordination with the police, said a member of the society.
“We also requested the police to set up a booth at the unused bus stand, which the society is willing to convert into a small monitoring room to enable round-the-clock police presence,” he said.
The delegation, led by local councillor Dr Nutan Bicholkar, included society president Dattaram Bicholkar, Dr Gurudas Natekar, and others.
