Wife and father-in-law of key accused nabbed; police recover ₹8 lakh cash and mobile used in crime; social media tip-off led to meticulously planned heist
Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
In a significant breakthrough in the Rs 3.46 crore Santosh Ladda robbery case, police have arrested two more suspects the wife and father-in-law of the accused Suresh Gangane from Ambajogai in Beed district. The court has remanded the father-in-law to police custody, while the wife was admitted to government medical college and hospitl (GMCH) due to deteriorating health.
The arrested have been identified as Babita, wife of Suryakant alias Suresh Gangane (30), residing at Kuttar Vihir near Ambedkar Chowk, Ambajogai, Beed district, and Bharat Kamble (50) from Motegaon, Renapur tehsil, Latur district. According to Senior Police Inspector Sandeep Gurme, the police recovered Rs 8 lakh in cash and a mobile phone worth Rs 10,000, used in the crime, taking the total seizure from the duo to Rs 8.10 lakh.
Investigations revealed that part of the stolen gold was handed over by the accused to his wife Babita and father-in-law Bharat Kamble for safekeeping. With these arrests, the total number of accused taken into custody has reached twelve. The robbery at the Waluj residence of prominent industrialist Santosh Ladda is now considered the biggest heist in the history of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, with the loot comprising 5.5 kg of gold, 32 kg of silver, and a large amount of cash.
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Insider information and social media tip-off
Police investigations have revealed that the crime was enabled by insider information. Mahesh Borade, a friend of Ladda’s son, reportedly tipped off the gang after noticing a WhatsApp status update indicating that Ladda’s family was in the United States. Acting on this information, the gang meticulously planned and executed the high-profile heist.
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Accused flee to religious sites
Following the robbery, the main deceased accused Amol Khotkar, his girlfriend Hafiza (alias Khushi), and Suresh Gangane travelled to religious sites including Shirdi and Tirupati. This was part of their pre-planned strategy, possibly to avoid suspicion and discreetly dispose of the stolen property.
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Police custody extended
When produced in court on Sunday, accused Bharat Kamble was remanded to police custody until June 3 by First Class Judicial Magistrate S. P. Bedarkar.