Benaulim MLA warns police over rising thefts at Colva

Colva: Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas has given a 48-hour ultimatum to Colva PI Vikram Naik to act against rising thefts and solve cases pending over the past few months. Failing this, Viegas has warned of a morcha to the Colva police station, demanding the transfer of South Goa SP Tikam Singh Verma and the Colva police staff.Viegas said Colva residents gave him a list of unsolved thefts from the past month. He pointed out that initially, houses of residents settled abroad were targeted. Subsequently, thefts occurred in the homes of villagers who had gone on pilgrimage to Velankanni, and most recently, in the homes of families away for Ganesh Chaturthi.He highlighted the breakdown of law and order in Goa, and said the state is grappling with frequent thefts, gang wars and open drug peddling. He accused the police of failing to maintain effective control and warned that unless patrolling is intensified and thefts are curbed, he will escalate his demand for the transfer of the South Goa SP.Colva PI Vikram Naik, while admitting thefts in some houses, said that the investigation is in progress, and they have viewed CCTV footage, and the accused will be nabbed soon.