Watchman robs flats at Malwani

A watchman of an apartment in Malad broke into the houses of senior citizens on September 29 and robbed them of Rs 3 lakh.

A watchman of an apartment in Malad broke into the houses of senior citizens on September 29 and robbed them of Rs 3 lakh.

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Francis Fernandez, 61, and Heilda Brindley, 62, had gone to Goa. While Fernandez stays on the fifth floor, Brindley resides on the second floor of Noble Apartment at Jankalyan Nagar in Malwani, Malad (West).

The watchman, Bal Bahadur Rokaya (45), along with his three accomplices — Bire Bahadur Nandsingh, Dal Bahadur and Prem Singh — broke into the two houses. While they stole jewellery worth Rs 1.78 lakh from Brindley’s house, they stole cash from Fernandez’s house.

The police said Rokaya quit his job on the same night. “Both Fernandez and Brindley lodged a complaint on October 2. Our main suspect was Rokaya as he had been missing since the day of the theft. Although Rokaya had been employed in the building for the three years, but none of the building residents had his photograph or his address,” said Tajumal Mulani, assistant police inspector.

The police managed to get Rokaya’s mobile number, which was not registered on his name, and with the help of call records traced his location to Chincholi Bunder in Malad (W).

“The number was Nandsingh’s. He was arrested on Tuesday. Rokaya has fled to Nepal while the whereabouts of the other two is not known. Nandsingh had committed a similar offence in Andheri,” added Mulani.

A few months ago, Rokaya was almost sacked by the building residents due to his drinking habit but Fernandez and Brindley convinced the others to let him keep his job.