Canacona cops nab three for Ponda thefts

PONDA: Canacona police nabbed three persons wanted in a daylight house break-in at Ponda and handed them over to the Ponda police on Tuesday afternoon. The accused allegedly robbed gold worth 2,46,000, two laptops worth 40,000 and 10,000 in cash.
All the accused have confessed to the crime and informed the police that they have pledged the stolen gold in a bank in Gadag, Karnataka, to avail loans.Ponda police are in the process of recovering the stolen booty.
Canacona police sources said that the trio had attempted to rob a house at Poinguinim-Canacona on March 15.
When people spotted them, they fled the spot. However, some people and a policeman managed to nab one of them and later the police picked up the remaining two.
Ponda PI Chetan Patil revealed the names of the accused as Shivaji Chavhan, 23, Venkatesh Lamani, 23, and Laxman Adimani, 29, all natives of Dalgi-Gadag in Karnataka. "They were staying in a rented room at Suravali-Salcete and used to hide there after committing thefts. That is how police were unable to trace them," Patil said.
He added that the accused were wanted by them in three cases in Ponda town and suburban areas. In the first theft committed at Mhalshi-Curti they had looted gold ornaments worth 57,000 and in a Bondbag theft, they made off with gold worth 85,000 and 10,000 cash. In a theft at Bethora they robbed gold worth 1,04,000 and two laptops worth 40,000.
Police said they have sought three days custody for the accused by producing them before the Ponda JMFC. They are investigating whether there were only three or are they operating with any gang in Goa.