The K9 hero who cracked Dahisar bank robbery case

Jesse, who belongs to Mumbai police's top canine breed Belgian Malinois, helped cops find and arrest the two Dahisar bank robbers. She was brought to the scene after the incident on Wednesday evening and made to sniff a slipper, left behind by one of the accused. After a run of about one-and-a-half hours, she led the police to the duo's hiding den in Rawalpada. Jesse, who is one of the most sought-after dogs of the Mumbai Crime Branch, was brought to the crime scene from the unit's office at LT Marg. The incident had taken place around 4 pm on Wednesday. One of the accused had left a slipper while fleeing with Rs 2.75 lakh.

Jesse has been trained at SSB Camp in Rajasthan

Police handler Surekha Londhe cleared the way for the dog who finally led them to the house of Dharmendra Yadav in Rawalpada, the most crowded slum pocket of Dahisar East. Jesse pointed the officers towards one of the water containers outside the home, where, the officers later learnt, the accused had washed his face on reaching home after the robbery. "It was the last room on the lane. The dog pointed us towards the room on the mezzanine floor that was locked from inside. After making enquiries with the locals, we broke open the door and found Dharmendra," said an officer. Vikas, who stayed in the same locality, was also arrested immediately.

This is not the first case for Jesse. She had been instrumental in solving an attempt to murder case registered at Dharavi earlier this year. She had traced the accused in Dharavi and helped police catch them. Jesse is a three years and one month old Belgian Malinois female dog who has been trained at SSB Camp in Rajasthan. She has been working for Mumbai police since the past two to three years. According to police sources, Mumbai police has four dogs of the breed to investigate criminal cases, and one is an expert in the investigation of narcotics.

CBI Director Subodh Kumar Jaiswal introduced the Malinois breed in the force in 2019 while serving as the Mumbai police commissioner. The first batch of five puppies were brought from a breeder in Murbad, and for the first time, only women police constables were assigned to them. Malinois are widely preferred by the paramilitary forces for security purposes. They have a sharp smell, are very intelligent and hardworking, which is an ideal breed for a crowded city like Mumbai. In India, Malinos are used by the National Security Guards and armed forces in their K-9 squads. The average price of a puppy varies from Rs 70,000 to Rs 1 lakh, depending on the quality of the puppies. With age, they become more efficient which is rarely a case in the other breeds.