A chauffeur who faithfully served a developer for 17 years was apprehended in Akola after absconding with Rs 1.06 crore belonging to his employer. The accused, Santosh Chavan, took elaborate steps to evade capture, including discarding his mobile phone and changing vehicles in locations not under surveillance. Authorities have successfully recovered most of the stolen cash.
The theft was reported on October 11.
The developer had entrusted Chavan with Rs 25 lakh kept in the car’s trunk, instructing him to remain in the vehicle while he visited a government office. However, when he returned just half an hour later, Chavan had disappeared with the cash and the car. His phone was switched off. Furthermore, Chavan had stolen an additional Rs 75 lakh from the builder’s office. He abandoned the car in Jogeshwari and continued his escape in an autorickshaw. He disembarked at Hub Mall in Goregaon, an area not covered by security cameras.
Police visited his residence in Ghansoli, but he was nowhere to be found. An officer noted, “We learned that his wife had picked up their son early from school. No calls were made using his number, which indicated that he had discarded his handset.”
After questioning his relatives, police discovered that Chavan had a close female friend. Her brother-in-law, Pradip Yadav, informed authorities that Chavan had sought assistance in counting Rs 1 crore. “Chavan persuaded Yadav to buy a new phone and SIM card. He utilized a phone registered in Yadav’s name. Yadav also rented a car to transport Chavan to Alandi, where he checked into a guest house using Yadav’s Aadhaar card, leaving no traces,” an investigator explained. In Alandi, Chavan entrusted Rs 50 lakh to a relative before moving on to Akola. During this time, police were tracking his movements.