Pydhonie prayer hall theft could be insider job: Police

Police are probing a theft of silver articles worth over Rs 60 lakh from a prayer hall in Pydhonie Tuesday night.

They said the theft at Zafri Mehfil Prayer Hall on the second floor of Goa Building on Ibrahim Merchant Road occurred between 8.30 and 10 pm.

"The prayer hall is for Muslim women. It was locked after a prayer meeting that ended at around 8.30 pm. At around 10 pm, building resident Sadiq Ali Allah Rakha found the door lock open and went in to investigate. He found several religious items, crockery and cutlery, all made of silver, missing and informed trustees," said a police officer.

The trustees then called Pydhonie police. An inventory of missing items was made and their value put at around Rs 62,38,000.

Police said the lock had been forced open using a hard object, possibly a crowbar. "We have registered a case of break-in and theft. There are no suspects yet," senior inspector Pascal D'sousza said.

He did not rule out involvement of an insider as there is movement in the residential building till late at night. Police said residents did not recall hearing sound of the lock being broken.

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