As many as 14 shops were broken into, and cash amounting to ₹27,000 was stolen by an unidentified burglar in the early hours of March 12. The burglar was captured on CCTV footage from the shops.
According to the police, the incident occurred in the Sarai area of Thane, under the jurisdiction of the Naupada police station. The burglar used an iron rod to break open the shutters of 14 shops and stole cash from eight of them.
Most of the affected shops, including those of doctors, medical suppliers, and furniture retailers, primarily conducted online transactions, which minimized their financial losses.
The victims were alerted by locals and, upon arriving at their shops, discovered that only cash had been stolen. They immediately informed the local police and registered an FIR. During the preliminary investigation, CCTV footage showed the burglar entering the shops and searching for cash in drawers.
Senior Police Inspector Anil Mahajan of Naupada police station said, "We registered an FIR after receiving complaints from the victims. A team has been formed, and we have circulated the suspect’s photo across police stations in the Thane Commissionerate and to our local informers. We will nab him soon."
Meanwhile, locals expressed outrage over inadequate police patrolling, citing it as a reason for the rise in thefts in the area.
