In a swift response to a temple theft case, the North Goa Police successfully apprehended a suspect within 16 hours of the crime being reported. A significant portion of the stolen cash was also recovered.
The theft occurred at the Shri Brahmadev Devasthan temple in Brahmakarmali, Valpoi, where the donation box was found broken early Tuesday morning. Local resident Sagar Sakharam Desai filed a complaint reporting a loss of approximately Rs30,000 to Rs40,000. The intruder had also tampered with the temple’s inner sanctum, known as the garbhakud.
The Valpoi Police registered a case under sections 305, 331(3), and 331(4) of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Led by SDPO Bicholim Wilson D’Souza, PI Valpoi Videsh Singh, and PI Bicholim Vijay Rane, the investigation quickly identified the accused as Vishal alias Vishwas Govind Zarmekar (38), a resident of Nanoda, Sattari.
After extensive combing near the IRBn camp in Naroda and his residence, police arrested Vishal at around 11:30 PM on the same day. Rs24,250 was recovered from his home. Authorities continue to investigate to ascertain the total loss and whether any accomplices were involved.
Superintendent of Police Rahul Gupta said, “This case reflects our commitment to swift justice and protecting places of worship.”
