Three men have been arrested by Byculla police for forcing a 12-year-old girl to steal valuables worth ₹40 lakh from the house of a Mazgaon businessman.
The deeply conservative Mazgaon businessman who runs Haj tours was at first flummoxed when cash and valuable things began to go missing from his home a few months ago. But the 40-year-old was reluctant to file a complaint as his relatives and certain community leaders said that a djinn was probably responsible for valuables going missing. The businessman and his family were beset with such doubt and anxiety that they even contemplated changing their home.
In September, however, when a big chunk of cash and jewellery — amounting to ₹14.05 lakh — went missing, he approached the police to appraise them but still remained reluctant to file an FIR. The Byculla police managed to convince the businessman that there was a thief at play and not some djinn and that he needed to file an FIR so they could probe the matter. A complaint was registered on September 24. Subsequent investigations revealed that the family had lost cash and jewellery worth ₹40.18 lakh since February this year when they noticed the first theft.
“The complainant told us that since their relatives and community priests suggested that a djinn was taking away the valuables, they were scared and did not take any action and did not report the matter to the police,” said inspector Chimaji Adhav attached to the Byculla police station and who investigated the case.
In the absence of any forced entry into the house and the frequency of thefts led the police to suspect that it could be an inside job. The cops began speaking to all family members including the 12-year-old daughter of the businessman’s sister who has been abroad for some time and left her daughter back in Mumbai with him. “Her response to our questions was not convincing so we took her into confidence and found ways to question her which is when she revealed that one of her cousins and his two friends from Surat were threatening her and forcing her to steal from the house,” said inspector Adhav. “She told us that they would come to Mumbai whenever they were in need of money and that they would threaten her saying they would harm her parents if she failed to steal valuables from the house.”
{{/usCountry}}In the absence of any forced entry into the house and the frequency of thefts led the police to suspect that it could be an inside job. The cops began speaking to all family members including the 12-year-old daughter of the businessman’s sister who has been abroad for some time and left her daughter back in Mumbai with him. “Her response to our questions was not convincing so we took her into confidence and found ways to question her which is when she revealed that one of her cousins and his two friends from Surat were threatening her and forcing her to steal from the house,” said inspector Adhav. “She told us that they would come to Mumbai whenever they were in need of money and that they would threaten her saying they would harm her parents if she failed to steal valuables from the house.”
{{/usCountry}}Following the child’s revelations a police team led by officers Suhas Mane and Sachin Patil, arrested the three men — Hussain Patrawala, 19, Hussain Bombaywala, 22, and Abbas Attari, 22, from Surat. Police also recovered all the stolen gold and part of the stolen cash.
“The three accused spent the stolen money in casinos in Surat. No action has been taken against the girl for now and she remains with the businessman’s family. After her role is ascertained in the crime, we will send a detailed report to the Juvenile Justice Board,” said inspector Adhav.