Navi Mumbai: A 23-year-old man, who was debt-ridden due to online rummy gambling, has been arrested by the Local Crime Branch of Raigad-Alibag for allegedly carrying out a series of house burglaries to repay his loans.
Accused Identified as Aditya Kuthe
The accused, identified as Aditya Amrit Kuthe (23), a resident of Mundhani in Pen taluka, was apprehended in connection with crime registered at Nagothane police station under Sections 305 and 331 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. Police said his arrest has helped solve at least five burglary cases reported between 2024 and 2026 in the region.
According to police, for nearly three years, villages including Shihu, Bense, Mundhani and Jotirpada under Nagothane limits were witnessing a pattern of night-time house break-ins, creating fear among residents. The accused specifically targeted locked houses and even struck when families stepped out briefly at night for religious activities such as bhajans or haripath. The frequency of thefts was so high that villagers stopped stepping out of their homes at night.
CCTV Failed to Stop Burglar
Despite strong suspicion that the culprit was a local resident, he remained untraced. Villagers later installed CCTV cameras, which temporarily halted the thefts, but the burglar resumed operations in areas without surveillance after a few months, intensifying public outrage.
Taking serious note, Raigad Superintendent of Police Aanchal Dalal directed the Local Crime Branch to crack the case. A special team led by Police Inspector Milind Khopade launched an investigation.
Bank Records Revealed Rummy Addiction
During the probe, Police Constable Amol Hambir and Police Sepoy Ishwar Lambote received specific intelligence pointing to Kuthe. Technical analysis, scrutiny of his bank records and other inputs revealed that he was addicted to online rummy and had been spending heavily on expensive mobile phones and vehicles, which did not match his income from contractual work.
"Kuthe was taken into custody and, during interrogation, confessed to committing multiple house break-ins in nearby villages," a police officer said. He told police that mounting losses from online rummy had pushed him into debt, and he resorted to burglaries to repay the money.
Police have linked him to at least five cases registered at Nagothane police station.
The accused has been handed over to Nagothane police station for further investigation, officials said, adding that efforts are underway to ascertain if he is involved in more such offences.
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