Four ‘dacoits’ held in inter-state cop op

Panaji: Old Goa police, on Saturday, arrested four members of an inter-state ‘pardhi' gang in connection with a dacoity at Corlim last month, when masked men robbed a household at knife point and stole cash and valuables worth 10 lakh. Police also arrested their associates in Goa.
PI Krishna Sinari said police arrested Vijaya Popat Patoli, 40, a resident of Girui, Satara; Siddarth Ramesh Barse, 27, from Ahamadnagar, and their Goa associates Dattatray Gawde, 37, from Corlim, and Pushpa Balgo Gadeker, 52, from Parra.
Sinari said members of the gang had committed two dacoities, one in Goa and one Bijapur, Karnataka, last month. He also said that Old Goa police and Bijapur police were in touch with each other to crack the cases. Teams from the two stations visited each other to share clues.
Potali and Barse was first arrested by Bijapur police in connection with the dacoity in their jurisdiction. Police said that during interrogation, they confessed to their involvement in the Corlim dacoity, too, information that was passed on to the Goa police.
"We obtained a transit warrant and brought Potali and Barse to Goa," Sinari said, adding that during interrogation, they revealed Gawde and Gadekar as those who contacted them to commit the crime at Corlim.
Sinari said that Gadekar contacted Patoli and planned the conspiracy, and added that there are more persons involved in the dacoity who are yet to be caught.
Last month, Keshavnath Naik, in a complaint filed at Old Goa police station, said that seven men with their faces covered, entered his house in the wee hours by breaking open a door. They then threatened his family members with a knife and stick and bound them.
In his complaint, Naik also stated that the intruders stole gold ornaments comprising two gold chains, two bracelets, three finger rings, one mangalsutra, two bangles, another set of two big bangles, one necklace, one ‘mala', a watch, four cellphones, a DVR system and cash. The accused then left in a car which was later recovered in Margao.