Mira-Bhayandar: The crime branch unit (Zone I) attached to the Mira Bhayandar-Vasai Virar (MBVV) police have arrested a serial thief who would befriend late night customers at bars and take them to local lodges for continuing with the binge sessions, before mixing sedatives in drinks and escape with their valuables.
The accused who has been identified as- Abhishek Satyanarayan Agarwal alias Avinash (38) had recently targeted a 54-year-old businessman identified as Vinod Pandey by accosting him to Hotel Avenue- a lodging facility in Mira Road on 14, March.
He apparently served drinks laced with heavy sedatives which rendered Pandey unconscious, following which he fled with his valuables including gold chain, two rings and cash-collectively worth Rs 81,000.
Notably, before checking out of the lodge, he claimed that his friend was in an inebriated state while handing over Rs 500 to staffers for ferrying him home in an auto-rickshaw. Such was the impact of the sedatives that it took more than two days for Pandey to regain complete consciousness.
An offence under sections 123 (causing hurt by means of poison with intent to commit an offence) and 305(theft) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita was registered at the Mira Road police station.
On the basis of electronic surveillance, a team led by police inspector-Pramod Badhaakh traced Avinash and arrested him from Mira Road. Investigations revealed his involvement in four similar offences committed by Avinash using a similar modus operandi under the jurisdictions of police stations including- Dahisar, Navghar, Bhayandar and Mira Road.
Notably, Avinash was convicted in one of the crimes and had recently stepped out of jail after serving six months imprisonment. Not ruling out his involvement in more such offences, the Mira Road police are conducting further investigations.
