Team Goemkarponn
BICHOLIM: Bicholim Police have registered a robbery case after an elderly pigmy collector was robbed of cash near the Kareshwar temple in Bicholim, with one of the accused being arrested following a public chase.
According to police, the complainant, Ranjit Sakhalkar (74), son of Vithal Sakhalkar, a private service employee and resident of Vishwas Nagar, Lamgao, Bicholim, has been working as a pigmy collector appointed by Canara Bank since 1973.
The incident occurred on December 23, 2025, at around 2.30 pm, near the Kareshwar temple in Bicholim, when the complainant was walking towards his residence. Police said that two accused persons, acting with common intention, allegedly snatched the complainant’s bag containing cash amounting to ₹43,090 and fled from the spot.
One of the accused, identified as Amit Gujjar (20), a resident of Mapusa and native of Khandwa, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, was chased and apprehended by members of the public with the assistance of police in an agricultural field while he was attempting to escape. He was subsequently placed under arrest, and the stolen cash was recovered from his possession.
The second accused, Anuraj, a resident of Madhya Pradesh, is currently at large.
In this connection, Bicholim Police have registered Crime No. 169/2025 under Section 304(2) read with Section 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Further investigation is in progress.
