Cops solve robbery case while probing blasts

The crime branch claimed to have solved a robbery at Kalbadevi while probing the July 13 bomb blasts.

The crime branch claimed to have solved a robbery at Kalbadevi while probing the July 13 bomb blasts.

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Joint commissioner of police, crime, Himanshu Roy said Prakash Goribali, 32, Chetan Malap, 39, Javed Siddiqui Ali Sayed, 30, and Dastagir Mohammad Siddiqui Sayed, 22, were arrested on Monday and Tuesday, from Goregaon (West).

Of the Rs 27.4 lakh cash they stole from the shop, Rs10.8 lakh has been recovered so far. Their associate, Umesh Mithailal, is still absconding.

According to Roy, on the afternoon of July 13, three of the accused, Javed, Dastagir and Umesh entered Nisha enterprises, at the Vittal Mandir lane. They overpowered Bharat Pandurang Ajmera, 44, a manager who was alone in the shop, and fled with the cash. A complaint was lodged at the LT Marg police station. Minutes after the complaint, a bomb ripped through nearby Zaveri Bazaar.

Following the blast, senior inspector P Dalvi of Unit 11, received a tip-off that some criminals—Dastagir, Javed and Umesh—had gone to Zaveri Bazaar on the same day and were absconding following the blasts. “We thought they could be the suspects and searched for them,” Dalvi told HT on Monday. The crime branch found the trio at their hideout. However, Umesh managed to escape.