A pug, also popularly known as Vodafone dog, named Casper was stolen by two men when it was on a walk with its owner at an open space located in BPT Colony, Govandi.
Casper (3-years-old) and his owner, Lakshmikant Mishra, 62, usually walk in the open space in the morning and evening. On Tuesday evening, at around 7:20 pm, while Mishra was walking Casper, two men, on a bike, landed near. "The one who drew the bike started talking to me about random subjects. While he was talking, he was drinking alcohol, directly from the bottle. Meanwhile, Casper was roaming around, playing with other people. Casper is a very friendly dog, if somebody approaches him, he would indefinitely play with them," explained Mishra, while talking to FPJ on Wednesday.
How the Pug was stolen
They had parked their bike close to them, but the driver was standing adjacent to Mishra, while the pavilion rider was roaming around, mostly circling Casper. "I didn't doubt his intention as people do tend to play around Casper, they fondle him lovingly. So did that man! However, later he picked up Casper and walked towards me, while the driver was still conversing with me. Then he placed Casper on the petrol tank, hopped on the vehicle, and went off. The driver who was talking to me also immediately ran away, sat on the bike, and both of them vanished," added Mishra, who had got Casper during Lockdown for Rs. 15,000.
Brazen Getaway
It was all so quick, that Mishra was confused for a few seconds. After collecting himself, he walked around to look for Casper by calling his name, but it was useless. Mishra called his son, Nileshkumar, and informed him everything. They then approached the Govandi police, narrated the story, and registered a first information report (FIR) against unknown persons.
Police Investigation and Swift Action
On Wednesday, a team of police led by PSI Jayshri Devade started tracing the bike throughout all the routes of Govandi and their search ended at Lallubhai Compound near Mankhurd. The found the biker and its owner, one named Vishal More, 38. Police apprehended More, and via him, his partner, Sarwanand Kathan, 34. Both friends intended to sell the dog to make some money, said the police.
Casper, the pug, was successfully handed over to Mishra, while the two accused were sent to police custody.
