Delivery Boy Arrested for Staging Accident to Steal Rs 60.7 Lakh Ornaments in Andheri
On June 6, a 26-year-old delivery boy employed with a jewellery manufacturing unit in Andheri MIDC, Mumbai, allegedly staged a road accident near Bhangargalli to steal ornaments worth Rs 60.7 lakh with the help of an accomplice. The MIDC police have arrested the delivery boy, Avinash Kadam, and his associate, Manoj Jogdande (41), recovering the entire stolen property.
Kadam was instructed by his employer at Gold Star Elite Jewellers to deliver the jewellery to a client located barely a kilometre away. When Kadam failed to reach the destination, his employer called his phone. An individual claiming to be Kadam's friend answered, stating Kadam had been admitted to Kamgar Hospital following an accident.
At the hospital, doctors informed the employer that Kadam was in stable condition with no visible injuries. However, Kadam claimed that he felt dizzy while riding, collided with a parked tempo near Bhangargalli, and lost consciousness. He claimed he did not know what happened to the bag of jewellery.
Kadam reportedly insisted on remaining in the hospital for three days, pressuring medical staff to perform tests to back his claims of internal injuries and unconsciousness.
The MIDC police launched an investigation following a complaint filed by Kanchan Pawar (46), the inventory head of Gold Star Elite Jewellers. Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Datta Nalawade formed a team including Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Gajanan Pawar, Senior Inspector Ravindra Wani, Inspector Mahesh Gurav, and Sub-Inspector Kiran Parbat.
Investigators grew suspicious and reviewed CCTV footage of the accident spot alongside eyewitness statements. The footage and witness accounts revealed that the collision was entirely staged.
Using the CCTV footage, the police tracked down Jogdande, who was already in the criminal database due to prior arrests in cheating cases. Upon questioning, Jogdande confessed to conspiring with Kadam to execute the theft.
The police recovered the stolen ornaments from Jogdande. He had concealed the jewellery in the boot of his scooter, on the roof of his residence, and inside a flowerpot. Both men remain in police custody.
