NT Reporter Margao
In the past six months Chandor has been rocked by a spate of robberies, with the latest involving a senior citizen who was attacked by two unknown persons on Sunday and robbed of cash, gold, and a cellphone altogether worth Rs 12 lakh.
The victim, Nicolav D’Costa, is undergoing treatment at a private hospital.
Despite a police outpost being barely one kilometre away, this marks the eighth robbery in the village, most targeting senior citizens. In one recent case, a 91-year-old woman was attacked in a failed attempt to snatch her gold chain, which turned out to be imitation jewellery.
Sunday’s incident occurred around 1.30 am when D’Costa was attacked outside his house. In his complaint, he stated that two to three unknown men, aged between 25 and 35 years, entered his house and robbed him of four gold chains, five gold rings, one gold bracelet, Rs 30,000 in cash, and a Vivo mobile phone—altogether worth Rs 12 lakh.
Former deputy sarpanch Marcelino Fernandes said, “The miscreants have been targeting senior citizens and gold ornaments. But somewhere the police are to be blamed for the increase in the number of robberies in the village. During my tenure, there were police checking at the junction while there was continuous patrolling, which has stopped.” “People do not feel safe anymore,” he added.
Another resident, S Antao, said, “It is a shame that after so many incidents and repeated attacks on senior citizens, the Maina-Curtorim police have failed to crack even one robbery even after six months.”
A neighbour of the victim, who did not wish to be named, said, “It appeared that the miscreants were well aware of the movements of the victim and were hiding behind the bushes and waiting for their opportunity to strike.”
