While gangs of bike thieves operating across Mumbai, Thane and Palghar is a routine affair, sleuths of the Mira Bhayandar-Vasai Virar (MBVV) police commissionerate have busted a first-of-its-kind involving only minors.
Acting on a tipoff, that some minors were involved in the recent spate of bike theft cases in the region, a crime detection team led by API Mahendra Bhamre under the supervision of Senior Police Inspector Sanjay Hazare laid a trap and apprehended a trio (aged 14 to 17 years) from their respective tenements in the Mandvipada area of Kashimira.
While the trio confessed to having committed two bike lifting and an auto-rickshaw theft case, the investigating team also stumbled upon a huge amount of scrap material which the minors had stolen.
Passionate about bikes, the accused minors who are school dropouts would lift bikes that were parked in secluded spots. If the vehicle ran out of fuel, they'd just abandon it and escape. To fund a lavish lifestyle, the trio took to stealing scrap.
Not ruling out the trio’s involvement in other similar offences, an investigating officer said, “We have recovered stolen booty amounting Rs. 1.15 lakh from the possession of the trio who have been sent to a children’s home. A scrap dealer who purchased the stolen goods is also on our radar and will be arrested soon.”
Offences under sections 454,457, 380 and 379 of the IPC have been registered against the trio at the Kashimira and Navghar police station in Bhayandar, said the police. Further investigations were underway.
