Man who stole Rs 10 lakh in June lands in cop net

Seven months after he allegedly fled with Rs10 lakh in cash, Asif Iqbal Shaikh, 24, was arrested by the police from Mahim. Police are yet to trace the stolen money, with Shaikh sending them on one wild goose chase to another.

Seven months after he allegedly fled with Rs10 lakh in cash, Asif Iqbal Shaikh, 24, was arrested by the police from Mahim. Police are yet to trace the stolen money, with Shaikh sending them on one wild goose chase to another.

HT Image

On June 9, 2011, the accused spotted Rajasthan-based businessman Vijendra Bhadaria walking out of a bank near Paradise theatre, Mahim. Bhadaria had withdrawn Rs10 lakh which he was carrying in a suitcase. Shaikh snatched the bag and ran away.

“We did identify Asif as the accused, but he kept out of city limits after the crime,” said B Kadam, assistant inspector, Mahim police station. Last week, when police received a tip-off that he had returned to Mahim, they laid a trap and arrested Asif.

Attempts to recover the money have been futile so far. “Shaikh has been cooking up stories about how he disposed of the money,” Kadam said. Sheikh attempted to use the police to settle his old scores and said the money was with his former employer in Ahmedabad. “Sheikh stole money from his employer in the past for which he was beaten up,” said constable Hemkant Bagul. .

Mahim police would have also toured Goa, had Sheikh not told them that he went to Mumbai Central station in an autorickshaw. “We realised he was making up another story as rickshaws don't ply to south Mumbai,” said Bagul.