Crime branch nabs three men after Vasai mother and son tied up, robbed at knifepoint

Three men were arrested for a violent robbery in Vasai, where they held a woman and her son at knifepoint, stealing jewelry worth ₹14 lakh.

MUMBAI: The Mira-Bhayander–Vasai-Virar (MBVV) crime branch on Friday arrested three men in Nandgaon, Karnataka who allegedly stormed into a flat in a Vasai housing complex earlier this week, held a woman and her 14-year-old son at knifepoint, and fled with jewellery worth ₹14 lakh.

Crime branch nabs three men after Vasai mother and son tied up, robbed at knifepoint

The arrested accused have been identified as Ashok alias Babu Raju Shinde, 40, Abdul Rauf Hashm, 25, and Ritik Ravi Belangi, 19.

Investigators said three more men were involved in the robbery, including Kalu Prabhakar Sahu, a friend of Raut’s husband and a repeat offender with cases of assault and robbery elsewhere in the city.

Police said the incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon when Geeta Raut, 37, was at home with her son Santosh. Three unidentified men allegedly forced their way into the flat, grabbed the mother and son, and pressed knives to their throats while demanding to know where the gold was kept.

When Santosh said he did not know, one of the assailants allegedly stabbed him, injuring his left hand. The trio then opened a cupboard and fled with 120 grams of gold ornaments and a mobile phone.

A case was registered at Waliv police station. Crime branch officers examined the flat, combed the nearby forested stretch where the robbers had escaped, and deployed teams at exit points. A farmer working in the area told officers she had seen two men running towards Virar, giving investigators their first lead.

Police then pieced together CCTV footage and local intelligence, eventually tracing the suspects to Nandgaon in Karnataka. A team travelled there on Thursday and arrested the trio.

During their search, officers recovered eight tolas of stolen gold, cash, and mobile phones worth about ₹10 lakh. “We have arrested three accused and are on the lookout for three others, including Sahu,” said Sandeep Doiphode, deputy commissioner of police (crime).

The trio was produced before a court on Friday and remanded in police custody till November 30.