Beed: A daring theft at a mobile phone shop in the heart of Parli Vaijnath town has raised concerns over security in the town’s busy central area. An unidentified thief allegedly entered the New Aryan Mobile Shop, located next to a nationalised bank in the Rani Laxmibai Tower area, after removing a metal sheet from the shop’s roof and fled with 70 mobile phones kept there for repairs, one new sealed handset and ₹5,000 in cash.
The incident occurred in the wee hours of Saturday. The fact that the shop was targeted in a densely populated area and right next to a bank has caused concern among local traders.
According to the police, the unidentified thief removed a metal sheet from the shop’s roof and entered the premises at around 2.15am. After gaining entry, he collected mobile phones kept on the repair rack, along with cash from the counter, and escaped.
The entire incident was captured on the shop’s CCTV cameras. The footage reportedly shows a single suspect carrying out the theft. The crime came to light when the shop owner arrived to open the premises in the morning.
Shop owner Ganesh Todkari lodged a complaint with the Sambhajinagar Police Station in Parli Vaijnath.
According to the preliminary complaint, the thief stole 70 old smartphones that customers had entrusted to the shop for repairs, one new sealed mobile phone and ₹5,000 in cash kept in the cash drawer. Other items are also suspected to have been stolen. The exact value of the stolen property will be established after a detailed assessment.
Following the incident, a team from the Sambhajinagar Police Station rushed to the spot and conducted a panchnama. The team included Police Inspector Anmol Kedar, PSI Narhari Nagaragojе, Assistant Police Sub-Inspector Rajabhau Thalkari and other police personnel.
A team from the Local Crime Branch (LCB), comprising PSI Prashant Sutale and personnel Sachin Sanap, Sachin Andhale, Ramchandra Kekan and Maruti Kamble, also inspected the scene and took possession of the CCTV footage for investigation.
Police suspect that the manner in which the theft was carried out could indicate the involvement of a seasoned criminal. A dog squad and fingerprint experts from Beed were called to the spot, and fingerprints and other forensic evidence were collected from the premises.
The police were in the process of registering a case at the Sambhajinagar Police Station late on Saturday evening. Further investigation is underway.
