Car thieves take advantage of blackout, flee from police lock-up

Sandeep Kakade (left) and Khalil Shaikh

A blackout caused due to a transformer blast became the perfect escape vehicle for two accused in Vishnu Nagar police lock-up on Saturday. The two had been arrested by Navi Mumbai's Rabale police in a car theft case. A manhunt has been launched for the two.

Khalil Shaikh and Sandeep Kakade had been arrested by the Navi Mumbai police for allegedly stealing a car and had been in police custody since. The police suspected their involvement in several other similar crimes across Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai and had been interrogating them. They had been shifted to the lock-up in Vishnu Nagar police station of Dombivli for questioning in another case.

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On Saturday around 4.30 am, a short circuit in the transformer located near the police station led to a blast, leading to a blackout in the area.

"Following a loud noise of the blast, policemen went near the transformer to check what had happened. That's when the two inmates took advantage of the dark and absence of staff, broke the window grilles and fled. When the police returned sometime later, they found the duo missing. Seeing the broken grille, they realised what had happened," said a senior officer from Vishnu Nagar police station.

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"We have launched a manhunt to nab the duo and a fresh case has been registered against them."