Mumbai: When a thief was arrested by the Nehru Nagar police recently for breaking into an electronics store and looting it, little did he expect that the tables would be turned on him soon. Testing positive for COVID-19 following his arrest, his entire family was placed in institutional quarantine, leaving his house unguarded. Seizing the opportunity, someone broke into the thief’s house in Chembur and stole cash and jewellery worth Rs 4.42 lakh. Following the incident, the Tilak Nagar police have registered an offence of theft and house trespass against an unknown accused.
Earlier this month, the Nehru Nagar police had recently arrested seven men for allegedly breaking into an electronics store and decamping with electronic equipment worth Rs 5.5 lakh. During a coronavirus test on the accused, five of them tested positive for COVID-19 and were shifted to JJ Hospital for treatment. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation sent the families of the accused who had tested positive for COVID-19 to quarantine centres in Deonar and Sidharth Nagar.
As all their family members were quarantined, they had no option other than to lock their houses. The family of a 45-year-old accused who stays in Malekar Wadi in Chembur was also forced to lock their house after the civic officials arrived to take them to a quarantine centre on June 8.
On June 15, the family was informed by their neighbours that their house was broken into. On checking the house, Rs 2.5 lakh in cash and jewellery worth around Rs 2 lakh were found to be missing. The accused’s brother then lodged a complaint at the Tilak Nagar police station. "It could be the handiwork of a thief who was keeping an eye on their house which was closed for over a week. It is also possible that one of his own gang members, who knew his house was closed after the family was quarantined, was behind the theft,” said an officer from Tilak Nagar police station.
