In a shocking revelation, the Ghatkopar police have arrested two college students for their alleged involvement in the daring daylight robbery at Darshan Jewellers in Ghatkopar West. The arrested accused have been identified as Suraj Yadav and Tanishq Bhaitade, while their accomplice Chandrakant Yadav remains absconding.
According to police officials, all three accused were college students who had become deeply addicted to online gaming. To sustain their gaming habits and manage financial pressure, the trio allegedly hatched a plan to rob a jewellery store.
On Wednesday morning, three men stormed into Darshan Jewellers at Amrut Nagar, Ghatkopar West, and looted gold ornaments at gunpoint before fleeing the spot. However, in a major breakthrough, police recovered a bag left behind by one of the robbers inside the shop. The bag contained some documents and an Aadhaar card, which helped investigators identify the absconding accused as Chandrakant Yadav.
Using the mobile number found linked to the Aadhaar card, police tracked the call details and discovered frequent contact with two numbers belonging to Suraj and Tanishq. The location of both phones was traced to a gaming zone inside the Marvels Building in Sakinaka. Acting swiftly, a Ghatkopar police team raided the gaming centre and arrested both accused from the spot.
Investigations revealed that Tanishq Bhaitade, a resident of Masrani Lane near Halav Pool in Kurla West, and Suraj Yadav, a resident of Kopri in Thane, were both final-year B.Com students from different colleges. The absconding accused, Chandrakant Yadav, hails from Navi Mumbai.
Police sources said that the three became friends through a mutual acquaintance and bonded over their shared passion for online gaming. All of them came from middle-class families and had been spending significant amounts of money at gaming zones. In desperate need of funds, they decided to execute the robbery, with Chandrakant allegedly taking the lead and arranging a pistol for the heist.
It has also emerged that the trio conducted a recce of the jewellery store a day before committing the robbery.
The Ghatkopar police are continuing their manhunt to nab the absconding accused and are investigating whether the group had any prior criminal involvement.