Mumbai: Two burglars have been arrested for allegedly stealing silver jewellery worth ₹22 lakh from a bungalow in Andheri.
The accused have been identified as Surya Nadar (21) and Rahul Mudani (21).
According to the Versova police, the complainant, who stays with his family in the Old MHADA Colony, had recently lost his wife. He along with his family had gone to their native in Uttar Pradesh to conduct her last rites. When they returned on November 15, they found that the house had been burgled.
“The jewellery belonged to the complainant’s wife and hence, it also had sentimental value for him,” Siraaj Inamdaar, senior police inspector, Versova police station, said.
The police registered a case and scoured CCTV footage belonging to nearly 70 government and private establishments. They confirmed the involvement of two suspects, who were seen going towards the bungalow on a motorcycle and later driving away from it. Using stills of the footage, the police made inquiries with local informants and identified Nadar and Mudani.
“We reached the area in Andheri, where the duo was staying but could not find the motorcycle that we had seen in the CCTV footage. Ultimately, we fanned out in the area and checked every motorbike parked there before we realised that the accused had repainted the vehicle and also changed the shape of its licence plate,” said an officer who was part of the investigation.
Nadar and Mudani were subsequently arrested and charged with house break-in and theft under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code. The police have recovered the stolen jewellery from the duo, which will be returned to the complainant after completing legal formalities.
“The accused had noticed that the front gate of the bungalow was locked and realised that there was nobody home, after which they kept a further watch to commit the crime. We suspect that they may have committed similar crimes in the area and have sought details of any unsolved burglaries in Andheri, Oshiwara, D N Nagar and Amboli police stations,” the officer said.