When the Awhad family, residing in the Pleasant Park area of Kashimira, planned a short visit to the nearby Gorai beach, little did they imagine that their flat would be burgled upon their return within a few hours. Upon returning home, they were shocked to find the main door lock broken, and the entire house ransacked. Unidentified thieves had decamped with booty totalling more than Rs. 8 lakh, including gold and silver ornaments. However, thanks to the efforts of the Kashimira police, the thief was apprehended, and the entire stolen booty was recovered within a couple of days.
CCTV helps nab thief
While scanning the footage captured by the closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, the investigating team spotted a suspect entering and leaving the building when the family was away. The CCTV grabs, matched with the criminal record database (CRD), helped the police ascertain the suspected involvement of a serial thief identified as Shamim Mohd. Haarun Shah (23), a resident of Munshi Compound in Kashimira. Shamim was detained, and after sustained questioning, he confessed to his involvement in the house break-in. His brother and mother, who also played a role in the crime by apparently trying to sell off the stolen ornaments, were also taken into custody, the police said.
Entire loot recovered
The entire stolen booty was recovered from the possession of the accused, who is said to be involved in three more house break-ins within the jurisdiction of the Kashimira police. The accused were remanded to custody after being produced before the district sessions court, Thane, on Thursday. Further investigations were ongoing.
