Mumbai: A week after gold and diamond jewellery worth Rs 7.09 crore was robbed from a jeweller's workshop in Andheri (E) the MIDC police have arrested seven people, including the main conspirator and the workshop's watchman. The arrests were made on Monday in the evening. All the arrested accused were booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code for house break-in, trespassing and robbery.
On May 22, owner of the Andheri-based workshop approached the police and complained of a break-in incident at the premises, where he claimed that valuables worth Rs 7.09 crore were stolen. For a speedy investigation, five police teams were formed and sent to Vasai, Aarey, MIDC in Andheri (E), Kurla and Powai. During the probe it was revealed that the accused had broken into the workshop by cutting the cement ceiling.
Police activated their network of informers, who tipped them about Vipul Chambariya, 35, owner of a foundation which provided food packets and essentials to needy amid the lockdown. Acting on this information, police detained Chambariya on Monday and questioned his whereabouts, after which it was revealed that the accused received help from a stock broker known to the complainant. The stock broker Diman Chauhan, 32, gave them information about the premises as well as the valuables stored in them.
"After getting all required information, Chambariya approached the workshop's watchman, Munnaprasad Khairvar, 49, who aided the break-in. We found leads on all the accused involved in this crime and arrested four more people, all related to the foundation headed by the main conspirator, Chambariya, who had broken into the workshop by cutting the ceiling with the help of a grinder cutter. We have recovered valuables worth Rs 5.30 crore," said Ankit Goyal, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 10).
Along with Chambariya, Chauhan and Khairvar, MIDC Police also arrested Lakshman Dandu, 35, Shankar Yeshu, 42, Rajesh Marpakka, 29 and Vikas Chanwadi, 24. All accused were booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and produced in a local magistrate court on Tuesday, where they were remanded in police custody for five days.
