Mumbai: Fake food delivery boy held for thefts

Sujit Tiwari caught in CCTV footage at a Borivli society

Officers of Unit 11 of the crime branch on Sunday arrested a 24-year-old man who posed as a food delivery boy and stole cash, mobile phones and valuables from residences across the city. The police said the accused took the help of his friend who is employed by a well-known online food order and delivery service as a delivery boy, and used his T-shirt (with the logo of the service) to commit the crimes.

The accused was identified as Sujit Santosh Tiwari, a resident of Manav Kalyan Seva society, Lalji Pada at Kandivli West. Crime branch officers have seized a T-shirt of the service and bike that were used by him. They also learnt that Tiwari is wanted in more than 10 such cases.

The police said Tiwari would wear his friend's T-shirt with the service logo and roam the city on his bike. He would carry a fake food parcel in his hand to look authentic. He would enter housing societies in this manner. Once inside, he would check all the residences and make note of who kept their main door open, etc. The police said he would then steal mobile phones, cash and valuables from the residences.

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According to the police, late on March 20, Tiwari, wearing his friend's T-shirt, entered a Borivli society and stole a mobile phone from a residence. He was captured in the CCTV cameras of the society and the concerned resident informed the Borivli police. During investigation, crime branch officer Assistant Inspector Abhijeet Jadhav found Tiwari stayed in Kandivli and was involved in many cases earlier. Crime branch officers formed a team comprising Inspector Bharat Lone and API Jadhav, and trapped the accused at Ganesh Nagar at Lalji Pada and arrested him.

Tiwari told crime branch officers that he took the help of his friend Rakmeshav Vishwakarma alias Shaktiman, 28, who worked for the service provider and used his T-shirt and bike for the thefts. Crime branch also arrested Shaktiman for helping Tiwari.

10
No. of cases that the accused is wanted in