23-year-old turns burglar to fund online gambling addiction

The accused, Aditya Amrut Kuthe, was caught on Saturday by the Local Crime Branch after a probe into thefts reported over three years in areas under Nagothane police station

NAVI MUMBAI: A 23-year-old contractor from Raigad, arrested for a series of house-breaking thefts committed over a span of three years, told police that mounting debts due to online rummy addiction led him to commit burglary.

23-year-old turns burglar to fund online gambling addiction

The accused, Aditya Amrut Kuthe, was caught on Saturday by the Local Crime Branch after a probe into thefts reported over three years in areas under Nagothane police station.

Police said Kuthe suffered repeated financial losses while gambling on online rummy platforms and turned to burglary to repay debts. He allegedly gambled a heavy sum of money in these platforms, despite facing continuous losses. Police are still investigating the exact scale of the crime and the amount of money involved.

Police grew suspicious of Kuthe’s lifestyle, which included expensive mobile phones and vehicles despite modest earnings as a contractor. “Sources had informed that he was leading a very lavish lifestyle,” said an officer, adding that technical analysis and financial records helped establish the case against him.

Kuthe allegedly targeted locked houses at night, especially when residents stepped out briefly. The incidents had triggered fear in villages such as Shihu, Bense, Mundhani and Zhotirpada, police said.

Police said he has confessed to several thefts and is linked to multiple cases registered between 2024 and 2026 under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. He is currently in the custody of Nagothane police for further investigation.