Robbers break into top Goa doctor’s bungalow, ransack house for 2 hours

Police said the robbery at the house of Dr Mahendra Ghanekar, a senior gynaecologist at a government hospital, was carried out by five to six robbers

PANAJI: A gang of robbers broke into the home of a Goa doctor in north Goa, tied up the family and made off with cash and jewellery of an unspecified amount, police said on Tuesday, citing statements by the family.

The doctor, his wife, who is also a doctor, their 14-year-old daughter and his octogenarian mother, were at home at the time (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Police said the robbery at the house of Dr Mahendra Ghanekar, a senior gynaecologist at a government hospital, was carried out by five to six robbers. They entered the house in Mapusa at about 3am on Tuesday.

The doctor, his wife, who is also a doctor, their 14-year-old daughter and his octogenarian mother, were at home at the time. The family told the police that the robbers, armed with knives and sticks, spoke in Hindi and had covered their faces.

“One of the robbers had entered the house by cutting open a window grill. He entered the house and opened the main door from inside and let the others in. They were in the home for about two hours during which they threatened and tied up the family members,” a relative who spoke to the family and later briefed the media, said.

The family said the robbers used the family car to get away. The car was later found abandoned.

Police said they were still looking for leads.

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant later visited the family and issued instructions to step up security.

“I only came to visit them. The police are conducting a detailed inquiry and 100%, we will catch the culprits. It is on track. We are tightening our nakabandis (checkpoints) and even now, I’ve given instructions to the police to tighten night-time security. It appears that this is the work of professionals, and so the first priority of the police is to track down who did this,” the chief minister said.

According to the family, the robbers had gagged them and took their mobile phones along when they left.

“We are just happy that no one was harmed,” a family member said.

This is the second high-profile robbery case in Goa this year. In April, a group of robbers was alleged to have broken into the house of a prominent businessman and made off with valuables worth ₹1 crore.