Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, May 29: North Goa Police swiftly solved the Brahmadev Devasthan temple theft case within 16 hours of it being reported, arresting 38-year-old Vishal alias Vishwas Zarmekar of Nanoda, Sattari, late Tuesday night.

Superintendent of Police (North Goa) Rahul Gupta said Zarmekar was arrested following a day-long forest search near the IRBn camp in Naroda. After fleeing into nearby woods, he was eventually tracked and apprehended at his residence around 11:30 pm.

The theft came to light after a complaint by Sagar Desai of Brahmakarmali, who reported that the donation box at Shri Brahmadev Devasthan temple had been broken into and approximately Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000 stolen. The temple’s inner sanctum, or garbhakud, had also been tampered with.

CCTV footage and local inputs helped police identify Zarmekar. A cash amount of Rs 24,250 was recovered from his residence. Police are continuing their investigation to determine the exact amount stolen and whether others were involved.

The case has been registered under sections 305, 331(3), and 331(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).