Mumbai: Accused in Rs 15 lakh theft case may have escaped to Bangladesh

One of the two suspects allegedly involved in a case of house-breaking theft in Andheri (West) is suspected to have crossed into Bangladesh with stolen goods worth more than Rs 15 lakh – including cash, jewellery and a revolver – because the police failed to act on time.

One of the two suspects allegedly involved in a case of house-breaking theft in Andheri (West) is suspected to have crossed into Bangladesh with stolen goods worth more than Rs 15 lakh – including cash, jewellery and a revolver – because the police failed to act on time.

A police team from the DN Nagar police station raided the suspect’s residence in Kolkata, but he reportedly slipped out before they reached. A police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “A police team went to Kolkata around 10 days ago and they have been searching for the culprit. Had we acted fast, we could have nabbed the accused.”

Police officers said that the man, who is the chief suspect in the case, has broken into several other homes in Andheri, in the past. He had been arrested by the Oshiwara police station earlier, in a similar case. A native of West Bengal, he came to Mumbai in 2007, and used to sleep on railway platforms in the western suburbs.

“After interrogating a few friends of the suspect, we came to know that he had gone to his sister’s place in Rajasthan. A police team went to Rajasthan to catch the culprit,” said a police officer. The police, however, reached after he had already left Rajasthan.

Based on a tip-off, the police team then left for Kolkata. “The team has been looking for the suspect for more than a week. While he seems to have crossed the border, the other suspect may still be in Kolkata,” said an officer who is part of the investigating team.