Naupada police in Thane arrest 5 incl 4 women for burglaries

Naupada police in Thane arrest a gang of five accused who allegedly used to burgle commercial establishments late at night; police have recovered all the stolen items from them

The Naupada police have arrested a gang of five accused, including four women, who allegedly used to burgle commercial establishments late at night. The police said that the first crucial clue in the investigation was obtained after tracking the movements of the accused for four kilometres in CCTV cameras, leading to 100% recovery of the stolen valuables.

Naupada police officials in Thane display the stolen items recovered from a gang of five on Friday. Police arrest five involved in multiple burglaries. (PRAFUL GANGURDE/HT PHOTO)

According to the Naupada police, investigations in the matter were initiated earlier in September, when the accused broke into a store in Thane and stole 25 water pumps.

“We checked CCTV footage in and around the spot and saw three to four women moving in a suspicious manner and an auto rickshaw parked near the store. However, it was raining at the time of the burglary and the footage was unclear. We were still working on the case when another burglary occurred at a store near Teen Petrol Pump, where industrial aluminium plates were stolen. CCTV footage once again showed three to four women and an auto rickshaw,” senior police inspector Sanjay Dhumal, Naupada police station, said.

The investigating team checked for more clues on CCTV footage around the scene of the second burglary and tracked the auto rickshaw all the way to Shivaji Chowk in Kalwa, where they finally obtained a clear enough image of its licence plate.

Using the registration details of the auto rickshaw, the police made inquiries with its owner, who said that he had employed Akash Kachchhi (27) to drive the vehicle. Kachchhi was subsequently picked up from his Kalwa residence and questioned at length, after which he allegedly confessed to being involved in both the thefts.

Based on his interrogation, the police went on to arrest Kachchhi as well as his mother Suman (50), wife Sheetal (24) and two other women from the same locality, identified as Rukmini Kamble (35) and Nandini Gaikwad (32).

“The accused have also committed more thefts in the Kalwa and Mumbra areas in the past. They purposely used women to move the stolen goods as they are less likely to be stopped in police checks. We have recovered all the stolen goods from their possession,” Dhumal said.

All the five accused have been charged with burglary under the Indian Penal Code and remanded in police custody till Saturday.