The Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Crime Branch has busted a gang that stole a diamond-studded safe containing 106 tolas of gold and silver ornaments from the N-1, Cidco area. The mastermind of the theft, Rishikesh Madhukar Kale (28, Gandharva Nagari, Nashik Road), is a highly educated engineer. He started targeting houses in posh localities with his accomplices Rohan Sanjay Bhole (36) and Akash Dinesh Kothe (27, Mahatmaphulenagar, Deolia village). The police have arrested all three accused, who confessed to committing the thefts due to being unemployed and incurring huge losses in the share market. They also admitted to the theft in the house of businessman Nikhil Mutha in Cidco, N-1 area, a few days ago.
On July 13, Mutha and his family went shopping at Prozone Mall. At around 8pm, the thieves entered the locked house and stole Mutha’s ancestral diamond-studded safe containing 106 tolas of gold and silver jewellery, amounting to ₹87.69 lakh. The thieves arrived in a luxurious car and kept a watch on Mutha’s house. When Mutha and his family went out, they seized the opportunity and entered the house by breaking the window. When Mutha returned at around 10pm, he noticed that the door of the house was open and the diamond-studded safe was missing from the cupboard. A case was registered with the Cidco MIDC police station.
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The crime branch police started a parallel investigation and, from the CCTV footage and information from informers, traced the gang. It was found that Rishikesh used to keep a watch on the targeted house from his luxurious car. He and his accomplices would stay and wait in the car for the right opportunity to enter the house. So far, nine cases of house burglaries committed by this gang have come to light.
Rohan’s father was a retired sub-inspector in Nashik and had died a few months ago. Rishikesh is a BE (Mechanical) graduate, and his father is a retired union government servant. Both of them live in a posh locality in Nashik.
