The Odhav police have cracked a previously unsolved night-time burglary case with the arrest of three members of a gang accused of breaking shop shutters and stealing metal scrap from an industrial estate.
Police recovered 1,525 kg of scrap material, including aluminium, steel, iron and copper, valued at approximately Rs1.67 lakh. An Eicher vehicle used in the crime, worth Rs12 lakh, was also seized, taking the total value of recovered property to Rs13.67 lakh.
According to police officials, the breakthrough came on January 24 during a routine patrol conducted by the Survey Squad of the Odhav police station. The patrol was part of a special drive to prevent property-related crimes and trace pending cases. Acting on specific inputs, the team intercepted three men transporting metal scrap concealed under a tarpaulin.
The accused were identified as Rohit Patni, Mahesh Patni alias Popatwala, and Kunal Patni alias Poptawala, residents of different areas of the city.
During interrogation, the accused allegedly confessed that on the night prior to Uttarayan, they drove the Eicher vehicle to an industrial estate in the Odhav–Singharwa area, broke open the shutter of a shop and stole metal scrap stored inside. The stolen material was then loaded into the vehicle and transported away.
An offence has been registered at the Odhav police station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. Police said further legal action has been initiated and investigations are underway to determine whether the accused were involved in similar offences in other parts of the city.
Police records indicate that the arrested men have prior criminal cases registered against them at various police stations, including theft-related offences and violations under the BNS and other laws.
