Daijiworld Media Network - Mapusa

Mapusa, Jun 20: Police have arrested a 22-year-old man from Karnataka in connection with a string of burglaries reported across Mapusa earlier this week, while efforts are continuing to trace another suspect believed to be involved in the crimes.

The accused, identified as Ishwar Gopi Harnishikari, a resident of Gadag district in Karnataka, was arrested on Thursday after investigators identified him through CCTV footage.

According to police, surveillance footage captured two suspects involved in the break-ins. While Harnishikari has been taken into custody, search operations are underway to apprehend his alleged accomplice.

The burglaries came to light on Tuesday around 7.30 a.m. when employees discovered that a cake and pastry shop in Shelpe, Duler, had been broken into. The shop's shutter had been forcibly opened and the cash counter was found ransacked.

Police said the burglars allegedly escaped with Rs 40,000 in cash.

A nearby chicken outlet was also targeted using a similar method, with Rs 25,000 reportedly stolen, taking the total amount looted to Rs 65,000.

Investigators said the incidents appeared to be linked to other break-ins reported across Mapusa on the same day.

In the Cunchelim area, two additional shops were reportedly burgled using a similar modus operandi, strengthening suspicions that the crimes were part of a coordinated operation.

In a separate incident, an attempted burglary was reported on Tuesday morning at Dattawadi at the ancestral residence of former Mapusa Municipal Council chairperson Sandeep Phalari.

Although the house was ransacked and several interior doors were damaged, police said no valuables were stolen.

During the inspection, officers recovered a sickle, a halogen lamp and a floor mat, which are believed to have been left behind by the intruders.

Police are continuing their investigation to establish whether all the incidents are connected and to identify any additional individuals involved in the burglary spree.