In Bhandup, Mumbai, three individuals, including a current employee and a former worker, have been apprehended by the Mumbai police for allegedly stealing nearly Rs 8 lakh in cash from an employee of a paper trading company last month.
The arrested individuals are Raju Gupta, Kishor Damodar, and Rahul Dongre. Gupta, who worked as a tempo driver with the complainant’s firm, and Damodar, a former employee, were familiar with each other as they had previously worked together and lived in close proximity in Bhandup. During one of their meetings, the two decided to carry out the robbery, according to a Bhandup police station officer. On November 26, Gupta and another employee, Dinesh Chauhan, were sent to Panvel to deliver papers to a client’s office. During the journey, the businessman informed Chauhan that the client would hand over some cash, which they were instructed to bring back with them. Upon learning about the cash (worth Rs 7.98 lakh), Gupta secretly informed Damodar.
After delivering the goods and returning to Bhandup, as Chauhan and Gupta were walking towards their office in Pannalal Compound, Damodar snatched the bag from Chauhan and escaped on a bike driven by Dongre. Although Chauhan attempted to chase them, the two bikers managed to escape.
Suspicion arose when Gupta did not panic or pursue the fleeing bikers, leading the police to question him. During interrogation, Gupta confessed to the crime and revealed the roles of Damodar and Dongre. Damodar was traced and arrested in Bhandup, while Dongre later surrendered to the police.
The police have recovered Rs 7.25 lakh from the two accused and are investigating the involvement of additional individuals in the crime. They are also working to determine the motive behind the offense and recover the remaining stolen amount.