Pickpockets targeted Parrikar's funeral procession, 12 held

Panaji, March 19 (IANS) The Panaji city police have arrested 11 pickpockets and a chain snatcher over the last 24 hours in the state capital after several wallets and mobile phones were reported stolen and a chain snatched, during the funeral procession of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday, police said.Police Inspector in-charge of the Panaji police station Sudesh Naik said on Tuesday that two gangs of thieves from Karnataka and Maharashtra specialising in pick-pocketing, had arrived in Goa on Monday to take advantage of the crowds and steal from people participating in the funeral procession, from the state BJP headquarters to Miramar beach, with one stopover."They had specifically come to Panaji because of the major event in order to commit theft," Police Inspector Sudesh Naik told reporters here. Naik said that 12 accused had been arrested so far, while the police were on the look-out for other members of the gang from the two neighbouring states.The official said that in all 32 complaints of thefts of various articles had been reported to the police on Monday, during and after the funeral procession.Thousands of people attended the funeral procession, which was organised to bid goodbye to the mortal remains of the four-time Chief Minister.
--IANS maya/prs