Mapusa police on Thursday arrested a 22-year-old man from Gadag, Karnataka, in connection with a series of burglaries reported across the town earlier this week.
Arrest and Investigation
Police said Ishwar Gopi Harnishikari was identified through CCTV footage. He was one of two suspects captured on camera. He was taken into custody, and efforts are ongoing to trace and arrest the second suspect.
Details of the Burglaries
The burglaries were reported on Tuesday around 7.30am when a cake and pastry shop in Shelpe, Duler, was found with its shutter forced open and the cash counter ransacked. The thieves allegedly stole Rs 40,000. A nearby chicken centre was then burgled in a similar manner, with Rs 25,000 taken, bringing the total theft to Rs 65,000.
Police said the incidents matched other break-ins reported across Mapusa the same day. In Cunchelim, two shops were targeted with a similar modus operandi, prompting suspicions of coordinated activity.
Separate Break-In Attempt
A separate break-in attempt was also reported on Tuesday morning at Dattawadi at the ancestral house of former Mapusa Municipal Council chairperson Sandeep Phalari. The house was ransacked, and interior doors were damaged, but no valuables were reported missing.
Police recovered a sickle, a halogen lamp, and a floor mat believed to have been left behind by the intruders. Further investigation is under way.
