The crime branch unit (Zone III) attached to the Mira Bhayandar-Vasai Virar (MBVV) police have arrested a 41-year-old man who worked as painter during the day and doubled up as a thief during the night. The accused who has been identified as- Shyam Chinappa Dhotre (41) had recently broken into a locked tenement in Nallasopara between 1, March to 5, March as the family had gone to their native village.
Dhotre gained access into the tenement by breaking the latch of the door and decamped with gold ornaments worth more than Rs.2.91 lakh which was kept in the cupboard. Alarmed by the spate of break-ins in the region, the case was handed over to the crime branch for further investigations. On the virtue of footage captured by closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras and electronic surveillance, apprehended Dhotre from Virar.
Investigations revealed that Dhotre worked as a painter during the day and targeted locked homes to commit thefts during the night. The police recovered stolen ornaments weighing 33.5 grams worth Rs. 2.03 lakh from the possession of the accused who has been booked under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita for theft, break-in at night and trespass. Suspecting Dhotre’s involvement in more such offences in and around the region, a team from the Nallasopara police station is conducting further investigations.
