Mumbai crime: Andheri police crack housebreaking case, arrest three offenders

The Andheri police have successfully arrested three individuals involved in housebreaking and theft cases across the city. 

Interestingly, all three accused have no prior criminal history and were arrested for the first time. 

The accused have been identified as Armaan Nazir Shaikh (19), Aniket Ankush Nande (19), and Sahil Anand Shinde (19), all residents of MIDC, Andheri East. According to the police, one of the accused was captured on CCTV footage speaking on a mobile phone.

Utilising technical analysis and mobile tower location data, the police meticulously traced two specific mobile numbers linked to the suspects, ultimately leading to their identification and subsequent arrest.

The complainant, Dhananjay Vidyadhar Dubey (63), is a resident of Andheri East. The incident occurred between 10:00 PM on April 30 and 7:00 PM on May 2. 

According to officials, Dubey had locked his office on May 2, and upon reopening it the next day, discovered that the window had been broken. Unidentified individuals had entered the premises and stolen Rs 1.70 lakh in cash from a drawer. He immediately reported the incident to the police, who registered an FIR under Sections 305 and 3(5) of the BNS.

Under the guidance of DCP (Zone 10) Sachin Gunjal and ACP (Andheri Division) Shashikant Bhosale, Senior Police Inspector Umesh Machhinder and Crime Inspector Vinod Patil led the investigation.

PSI Kishor Parkale, assigned to the Crime Detection Unit, formed two dedicated teams comprising constables Pednekar, Suryavanshi, Shinde, Mhatre, Londhe, Patil, and More to track down the suspects.

Around 50 to 100 CCTV cameras from both government and private sources were analysed. In one of the videos, a suspect was seen using a mobile phone. 

Further technical analysis helped police zero in on two mobile numbers, both of which consistently showed location data from Naigaon, near Vasai. The accused were soon located and apprehended. The stolen cash of Rs 1.70 lakh was also recovered from them.

During the investigation, police discovered that the trio was also involved in a separate housebreaking case under investigation by Nehru Nagar Police, where they are now wanted suspects. Cops suspected that they were involved in more cases.

This article first appeared on Mid Day