Mumbai, August 11, 2026: A 26-year-old burglar, who once worked as a police informer and helped the Gamdevi police crack a house-theft case in 2021, has been arrested for allegedly stealing cash and valuables worth around Rs 1 crore from actress and beauty pageant winner Lopamudra Raut's Santacruz flat.
The accused, Chandan Mukhiya, was arrested from his native village in Darbhanga, Bihar, on August 2 and brought to Mumbai on August 8. The police said Mukhiya had stayed with the Gamdevi police as an informer and closely observed investigation, evidence-gathering and accused-tracking methods, which he allegedly later used to evade detection.
Informer-Turned Burglar Tracked To Bihar
The police said he had earlier allegedly stolen valuables worth Rs 1.8 crore from his diamond-merchant employer near Breach Candy Hospital and buried them near his family home in Bihar. He was subsequently arrested in another Rs 25 lakh burglary case and released on bail in January.
After his release, Mukhiya allegedly stayed at a Mumbai Central dormitory and conducted recce across the city. He allegedly spotted scaffolding outside Raut's Santacruz West building and used it to enter her fifth-floor flat between 4 am and 5 am on July 14, stealing cash, gold and diamond-studded jewellery, watches and other valuables. The police recovered property worth Rs 76.39 lakh.
Stolen Money Allegedly Used To Buy Plots
CCTV footage and technical surveillance helped trace him after he fled Mumbai on the Jai Sagar Express towards the India-Nepal border.
Within 10 days, Mukhiya and his uncle Lalu Mukhiya, 45, allegedly invested Rs 22 lakh in two plots measuring around 2,722.5 sq ft near their village. Lalu is wanted for allegedly helping dispose of stolen valuables.
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Raut, 30, returned from Nagpur on July 27 and found her flat locked from outside. A building staffer entered through the balcony and opened it. Mukhiya allegedly told police he had randomly targeted the flat after spotting the scaffolding and completed the burglary within an hour.
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