Daylight burglar nabbed, police recover stolen valuables worth ₹14L

The Mulund police have recovered stolen gold and silver ornaments worth ₹14 lakh from the accused. Senior inspector Ajay Joshi of Mulund police station stated that Rajbhar is a habitual offender who has committed multiple house break-ins in the past

Mumbai: The Mulund police arrested a 32-year-old burglar who had been targeting homes in broad daylight. The accused, identified as Rajesh Rajbhar, a native of Uttar Pradesh, was apprehended on Friday following a series of house break-ins across multiple locations in the city.

Daylight burglar nabbed, police recover stolen valuables worth ₹14L

According to police sources, Rajbhar arrived in Mumbai on March 13 via a flight from Varanasi and rented a room in Kalwa. Over the next two weeks, he executed five burglaries during the daytime, taking advantage of residents being away at work or on errands. Unlike conventional burglars who operate under the cover of darkness, Rajbhar’s modus operandi relied on striking when homes were empty in broad daylight.

The Mulund police have recovered stolen gold and silver ornaments worth ₹14 lakh from the accused. Senior inspector Ajay Joshi of Mulund police station stated that Rajbhar is a habitual offender who has committed multiple house break-ins in the past.

“He has a history of similar crimes in Dombivli, Vasai, Manpada, Vishnu Nagar, Vithalwadi, and Pune,” said Joshi. “He frequently visits Mumbai to execute burglaries and then returns to his native place in the Lalganj area of Azamgarh district, Uttar Pradesh.”

One of Rajbhar’s latest crimes took place on March 17 at the residence of 78-year-old Saraswati Pulikal in Mulund. The elderly woman, who lives alone as her son resides in the USA, had stepped out for some work when Rajbhar broke into her home in the afternoon. He fled with gold jewellery worth ₹4 lakh. The crime came to light when she returned home at 5:30 PM to find her door lock broken. She immediately reported the incident to the Mulund police, who launched an investigation.

Utilising technical evidence and CCTV footage, the police identified Rajbhar and tracked him down to Kalwa, where he was arrested. During interrogation, he confessed to committing similar burglaries in Nehru Nagar, Bhandup, and two incidents in the Ulwe police station limits in Navi Mumbai.

The police are now investigating whether Rajbhar had any accomplices and if he is linked to additional unsolved burglary cases.