Team Goemkarponn
OLD GOA: Old Goa Police on Wednesday arrested a man accused of breaking into a flat in Merces and stealing gold and silver ornaments worth around ₹10 lakh.
The complaint was filed by Mrs. Pooja Rajendra Mangaonkar, 56, a resident of Kumar Residency, who reported that between 4:00 pm on August 28 and 2:15 am on August 29, unknown persons entered her flat through a window and stole ornaments including a mangalsutra, bangles, earrings, rings, and a silver payal.
Based on CCTV footage analysis, police tracked a suspect moving in the area on a red-and-black Ntorq scooter. A team formed under North Goa SP intercepted and apprehended him in Merces. The accused was identified as Anant alias Akshya Ashok Mhadeshwar, a labourer residing in Merces and a native of Kudal, Sindhudurg.
During interrogation, Mhadeshwar allegedly confessed to the burglary. Police said he entered the flat by climbing through a window and stole jewellery from the bedrooms.
Checks on the Interoperable Criminal Justice System (ICJS) revealed that the accused is a habitual offender with multiple housebreaking and theft cases registered against him in Kudal, Maharashtra, and in Goa. These include four cases under sections 454, 457, and 380 of IPC in 2023, some of which have led to convictions.
Police said his involvement in other similar cases in Goa is under verification. Further investigation is in progress.
