Panaji: The crime branch on Wednesday filed a nearly 400-page chargesheet in the Dona Paula house dacoity case, naming five Bangladesh nationals arrested in May this year, more than a year after they allegedly tied up two elderly members of the Dempo family and looted their home.Police said the chargesheet includes statements of 30 witnesses. The five accused have also been linked to a similar armed dacoity at a doctor’s residence in Mapusa in Oct 2025.In the Dona Paula incident, which occurred in April 2025, three armed robbers allegedly broke into the residence of 77-year-old Jaiprakash Dempo and his 71-year-old wife, Padmini, between midnight and 4am. Armed with daggers and crowbar, they tied the couple to their bed before carrying out the robbery. They held the senior citizens at knifepoint and threatened to kill them if they raised an alarm. The security guard’s legs and hands were also tied. The robbers committed theft of around 1kg of gold ornaments and Rs 3 lakh in cash.In the second case, at least six armed, burqa-clad assailants allegedly targeted the residence of Dr Mahendra Ghanekar at Ganeshpuri, Mapusa, in Oct 2025. The gang, armed with a large knife and iron rods, allegedly stole around Rs 35 lakh in cash and valuables after tying up and gagging the doctor, his wife, his mother and another relative using bedsheets, a sari and pillow covers. Police said the gang had planned an escape route before carrying out the crime.The five Bangladesh nationals were arrested in May this year with the assistance of the Delhi police and are accused in both dacoity cases.The investigation has established their involvement in the commission of the offence through the statements of witnesses, test identification parade proceedings, technical analysis, CCTV footage, disclosure statements of the accused along with part recovery of the gold coins, recovery of the crowbar and other incriminating articles under panchanamas, as well as other documentary evidence collected during the investigation.The evidence further establishes that the accused persons entered and remained in India without possessing valid travel or immigration documents, thereby attracting the provisions of Foreigners (Amendment) Act, 2004.The entire investigation was carried out by PI Dattaguru Sawant, under the supervision of SP Jivba Dalvi (DySP crime) and SP crime Rahul Gupta.
