Art director's relative held over stealing of medal

Kothrud police has apprehended a 25-year-old man in connection with the theft of cash, gold and silver ornaments worth Rs 3.38 lakh, and also a national award silver medal, from renowned Marathi art director Shyam Bhutkar's home on May 20.

Police said that the arrested accused, who is a relative of Bhutkar, broke into the victim's residence, when the latter was out of town with his family.

Prize catch: Senior inspector Kalyan Vidhate with Shyam Bhutkar's national award medal on display

Senior inspector Kalyan Vidhate said that after Bhutkar registered a complaint, police personnel Manoj Pandhare and Shivaji Shelke started the investigation, during the course of which Mohan became a suspect.

"Mohan had come to the art director's house in Kothrud on May 19 and insisted Bhutkar and his wife attend a wedding in Alandi. After the couple left the next morning, the accused came to their house and, with the help of duplicate keys, opened the door, then broke the cupboard, and stole the medal, other ornaments worth Rs 3.38 lakh, and cash Rs 25,000," said Vidhate.

He then spent the cash with his friends at a party and left the gold ornaments with some jewellers.

"Mohan became a suspect during investigations. We detained him and during the interrogation he confessed to the crime," said Vidhate.

Cops said that they have managed to recover the medal from the accused, but the ornaments are yet to be found.u00a0