Mumbai: 47-year-old arrested for allegedly stealing watches worth Rs 28.31 lakh

Accused Suresh Babu Bhai Rathod

A 47-year-old salesman from a branded watch showroom in Borivali has been arrested for allegedly stealing Omega brand watches worth Rs 28.31 lakh. The complaint was made by the owner of the Swiss Paradise showroom against the accused, identified as Suresh Babu Bhai Rathod.

Rathod had been serving as both a delivery agent and a salesman in the showroom for a period of 13 years. The incident took place when Rathod was entrusted with a set of four watches for delivery to customers. However, he did not carry out the delivery, instead choosing to keep the watches for himself. On August 18, he stopped showing up for work.

Following the owner's complaint, the police initiated an investigation. They located Rathod on Tuesday at a guest house in Gorai near Uttan, where he was found attempting to alter his appearance in the company of his girlfriend.

The police had faced difficulties in locating Rathod as his phone was turned off, and they were unable to reach him during initial interrogations. They learned about his girlfriend during the investigation and managed to trace her contact details. Her phone was also switched off, but by examining the call data records (CDR), they identified a frequent caller who was an electrician that had recently worked at the girlfriend's house.

With the help of information from the electrician, the police attempted to locate Rathod at his house in Naigaon, but it was locked. After studying CCTV footage from various locations, the police determined that the two had moved towards Uttan and Gorai areas. They suspected that the couple might have been staying in a guesthouse there.

Under the guidance of DCP Ajaykumar Bansal from Zone XI and Senior Inspector Ninand Sawant, along with PSI Rajesh Kadam and his team, the police were able to locate the duo at a hotel in Gorai. They successfully arrested Rathod and recovered the stolen watches valued at Rs 26.81 lakh.