Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh): In a remarkable turn of events, the Gujarat cops dressed as vegetable vendors and balloon sellers to catch a notorious thief hiding in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior. The thrilling operation was executed within 48 hours.
A complaint was filed with the police in Ahmedabad's Chanakyapuri area, reporting a theft of jewelry and cash worth ₹1.5 lakh from a lawyer's house. Subsequently, PSI D. Gadvi of Sola Police Station initiated an investigation. After checking over 500 CCTV cameras in the area, it was discovered that a thief with stolen goods had stopped at a place with a golden color, Activa. The owner of the Activa, who sold golgappas, was identified.
Upon questioning, he claimed he hadn't used the Activa and that he uses it himself. This raised suspicions for the police. The golgappa seller later revealed that a friend from the village had used the Activa in recent days and had returned to Madhya Pradesh by the morning train a day before.
The thief, identified as Ashok Sharma, had returned to his village in Gwalior. PSI Gadvi sent his team to Gwalior, where each member disguised themselves as different vendors. Some sold balloons, while others pretended to sell vegetables, all to keep an eye on Ashok Sharma.
Meanwhile, Ashok Sharma suspected that he had been caught, so he repeatedly called his friend in Ahmedabad, who ran a pani puri stall, asking if the police had reached his place. The pani puri seller informed the police, and they advised him to call Ashok and keep him occupied. The police also suggested that the friend keep Ashok talking until they could identify his home in Gwalior. On the same day, Ashok Sharma left his house for some work, and that's when the police, dressed in plainclothes, recognized him by his shoes and apprehended him.
Upon interrogation, Ashok Sharma confessed to the theft and showed the police all the stolen goods. Since the police were conducting the initial investigation, Ashok didn't get a chance to sell the stolen items.
PSI Gadvi explained that the accused, Ashok Sharma, lived in a densely populated area in Gwalior, making it difficult for the police to reach his house directly. Due to this, the team members were assigned different disguises as street vendors. This strategic move led to the arrest of the thief within 48 hours. Ashok Sharma had a history of multiple offenses, as per the initial police investigation. It was also revealed that Ashok had come to Ahmedabad with two other people from Gwalior, but they got scared and did not participate in the theft.
The arrest took place on Wednesday, showcasing the police's ingenuity in catching criminals.
Usually, the police employ high-tech methods to catch criminals. However, the Gujarat Police had to become ferry operators to catch a thief, and they succeeded in just 48 hours.
