Team Goemkarponn
MORMUGAO: Goa Police have made a decisive breakthrough in the Baina dacoity case, arresting five suspects from outside the state. Director General of Police Alok Kumar confirmed the arrests on Tuesday, adding that officers have recovered a significant portion of the stolen property. The accused are now being brought to Goa for further investigation, and sources indicate that most of them hail from Odisha.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the police are closing in on every member of the gang. “I had said we were on the right track. The breakthrough has now come,” he stated, assuring that the remaining culprits will be apprehended soon. Police believe that a group of 7–8 dacoits was behind the armed robbery.
The horrifying incident took place in the early hours of November 18, when at least seven masked men stormed a sixth-floor flat in Chamundi Arcade, Baina, and attacked the Nayak family. The group escaped with cash, gold and silver items worth around ₹45 lakh. They were captured on CCTV entering and exiting the complex within a span of 35 minutes—between 2:30 am and 3:05 am. Their youth, Hindi accents and the smell of mustard oil suggested they were from North India.
During the assault, 60-year-old Sagar Nayak—a senior resident and chairman of Chamundi Arcade—sustained serious head injuries after being beaten with iron and aluminium rods. His wife Harsha, their 12-year-old daughter and the elderly mother-in-law were also assaulted, tied up and threatened. The attack reportedly stopped only after Harsha pleaded with the robbers.
Despite heavy bleeding, Sagar managed to call for help from his balcony. A neighbour, Bholenath Halwai, heard the cries and alerted police, who arrived around 3:25 am. Another neighbour, Wasim Shaikh, took the injured man to Chicalim’s Sub-District Hospital for initial treatment, after which he was shifted multiple times between there and GMC Bambolim due to fluctuating medical needs.
Sagar’s daughter suffered injuries while trying to protect him. The family remains deeply shaken. Though Sagar has been discharged from hospital, he has temporarily moved in with his brother, unable to return to his own flat due to trauma and security concerns. The Nayak family has urged authorities to improve safety measures in residential buildings.
The Baina heist is the third major armed robbery reported in Goa this year, following similar incidents at bungalows in Dona Paula and Mapusa. Police continue to search for the remaining accused as the investigation widens across multiple states.
