THE police returned stolen valuables and cash amounting to over R81 lakh on Friday. The recovery was part of a larger drive in Navi Mumbai. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone II) Amit Kale and Assistant Commissioner of Police (Belapur division) Mayur Bhujbal returned valuables worth R81.72 lakh to around 40 original owners at Ashray Hall in Nerul. From the Nerul division alone, 630 gm of jewellery, one vehicle, and 32 mobile phones worth R57.56 lakh were returned.

The Nerul home of Milind Vilas Bhoir, who had hired a maid over a month earlier through a Vashi-based agency, was robbed on August 20. His 65-year-old mother was asleep in her bedroom when thieves entered and took away jewellery worth R22 lakh — a gold necklace, a mangalsutra, three gold bangles, three sets of gold earrings and 20 rings.

Bhoir told mid-day.com, “We treated our domestic help very nicely and also trusted her. Even after the theft, she came in to work every day, pretending as if nothing had happened. We couldn’t believe she was involved. But during interrogation by the Nerul police, she broke down and confessed. That betrayal was more painful than the loss.”

Police teams from Nerul traced half the loot to the maid’s relatives in Chembur and the rest to West Bengal. “The officers worked relentlessly, checking each lead. In just a month, they brought back what we had lost. When they handed me my mother’s mangalsutra and other items on Friday, it felt like we were getting a part of our life back,” Bhoir added, visibly emotional.

For some, the recovery meant restarting their livelihoods. Vivekanand Singh, whose buffer cables worth R19 lakh were stolen, recalled the nightmare. “My customers were furious, and my business had almost stopped. I thought I’d never get back on my feet. But in just 20 days, police tracked the thieves in Delhi and seized the stolen cables. When they gave it back today, it was like getting oxygen for my business,” Singh said.

At the hall, relieved victims walked out clutching their ornaments, phones and documents, some with tears in their eyes. The event may have showcased police efficiency, but for the families, it was more a restoration of faith in the police and a sense of justice.

However, Bhoir questioned, “The police did their job, but who will hold these maid agencies accountable for exposing our homes and putting our families at risk?”

Political connect?

Milind Bhoir, whose mother’s jewellery worth Rs 22 lakh was stolen, is the son-in-law of Belapur BJP MLA Manda Mhatre. The 33-year-old maid, a married woman identified as Kamble, had been working at the Bhoir home for about one-and-a-half months before the theft. She was hired through the ‘Maid Me’ agency in Vashi. Bhoir alleged the agency charged a commission but failed to conduct any background checks.

Source