The Local Crime Branch in Raigad has arrested two men from Badlapur and their three associates for robbing a house in Karjat. Five more people are wanted in the case, including an auto driver from Borivali.
The arrested accused are Vijay Chavan (37) and Sunil Hilam (28) from Badlapur. They are wanted in 20 cases registered with Thane Police and Pune Police. The Crime Branch officials also arrested Amar Waghmare (19) for tipping off the accused about the house. Mr. Waghmare, who worked in a footwear shop in Karjat, became friends with Mr. Chavan as he frequently visited the shop. Mr. Chavan had asked Mr. Waghmare to inform him if he found a house that could be robbed.
The police said that on August 29, the accused reached Mahesh Jayram Deshmukh’s bungalow in Karjat in an auto hired from Borivali. They then entered the house through a window at 2 a.m. wearing masks and socks on their hand so as to not leave any fingerprints. The accused also did not carry their mobile phones to remain untraceable. The accused tied up Mr. Deshmukh, his mother, wife, and children and assaulted them. They then robbed valuables worth ₹6.28 lakh and fled.
The police said a passerby found the auto parked in an isolated area suspicious and noted down its number. He passed on the number to the police using which they traced the accused. Police Inspector Jamil Shaikh said, “The auto driver is wanted, but we have traced the accused. They used to target houses with valuables, enter it after midnight and rob the family by tying them up.”
Mr. Shaikh said, “All accused are history-sheeters with at least four cases against them. The maximum cases they are wanted in is registered with Pune Rural Police. We have recovered valuables worth ₹5.54 lakh.” The police also arrested Umesh Pisat (62) and Shankar Sargar (45), two jewellers in Dombivili who agreed to buy the stolen valuables.
The accused have been arrested under Sections 397 (robbery or dacoity with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt), 342 (punishment for wrongful confinement) and 412 (dishonestly receiving property stolen in the commission of a dacoity) of the Indian Penal Code.
