Maharashtra: Two arrested from Thane in jewellery theft case

Representational Image

Police have cracked a major jewellery theft case in which jewellery worth Rs 33 lakh was stolen from a house at Virar in Maharashtra's Palghar district by arresting two persons, an official said on Tuesday, reported news agency PTI.

The accused, Sonu Sheikh (43) and Motilal Soni, were arrested from Thane city, deputy commissioner of police, Virar (zone-III) Jayant Bajbale said, adding stolen jewellery worth Rs 27.65 lakh was recovered from their possession, reported PTI.

Thieves had entered the house at Dongarpada in Virar during the intervening night of April 24- 25, and made way with 470 gm of jewellery worth Rs 33 lakh when the family members were away. The Virar police had registered an FIR under sections 380 (theft), 454 (house breaking) and 457 (tress-passing to commit offence) of the Indian Penal Code on the basis of a complaint, reported PTI.

Working on various leads, including CCTV footage, technical and intelligence inputs, the probe team zeroed in on the main accused, Sheikh, said senior police inspector Vijay Pawar, reported PTI.

After getting a tip-off that the accused was staying in the Vasant Vihar locality, police laid a trap on April 27 and nabbed him from Manpada.

During interrogation, he told the police he had sold the stolen ornaments to one Motilal Soni, who sits outside jewellers' shops and deals with old and imitation jewellery. Police traced Soni and arrested him the same day in the jewellery theft case, said the official, reported PTI.

The police said the main accused Sheikh was a habitual offender and facing a number of criminal cases at various police stations in Mumbai and Thane.

In another case, the Mumbai police have arrested two persons from Rajasthan in connection with a series of motorcycle thefts and recovered 11 stolen vehicles, an official said on Tuesday, reported PTI.

The accused, Bheru Nenu Nath (29) and Devendra Kuldeep Singh (25), were arrested from Rajasmand city in Rajasthan, the official said, reported PTI.

The duo allegedly stole motorcycles from Mumbai and Rajasthan, forged documents and sold them with new registration numbers, he said.

The police were probing a vehicle theft reported at Kandivali in the western suburbs when they zeroed in on the accused, the official said, reported PTI.

Eleven motorcycles allegedly stolen from Mumbai and Rajasthan were recovered from the duo, he said, adding that a case has been registered under section 379 (theft) of the Indian Penal Code.

(With inputs from PTI)