Mumbai: Domestic Worker Arrested Within 48 Hours After Stealing ₹13.86 Lakh from Employer’s Spice Shop

In a swift operation, the Kalachowki Police arrested a domestic worker within 48 hours for allegedly stealing ₹13.86 lakh in cash from his employer’s spice shop and fleeing to Uttar Pradesh. The accused has been identified as Ajaykumar Shyamsundar Rawat, from whom police have recovered ₹10.47 lakh of the stolen amount. He is currently in police custody, and efforts are underway to recover the remaining cash.

According to police, the complainant, Sujit Dattaram Khamkar (61), a resident of Four Bungalows in Andheri, owns a spice shop at Lalbaug Market. Three workers, including two brothers—Vijaykumar Rawat and Ajaykumar Rawat—were employed at the shop. Vijaykumar had been working for 10 years, while Ajaykumar had been employed for five years. Both hail from Gonda district in Uttar Pradesh.

As Khamkar resides in Andheri, he used to store the shop’s daily earnings in a drawer and deposit the accumulated amount in the bank every 7–8 days. On April 15, he had kept ₹13,86,200 in the drawer, representing eight days’ collection.

The following day, upon checking, Khamkar discovered that the cash was missing. A thorough search yielded no results, and it was noted that Ajaykumar had not reported to work that day. His mobile phones were switched off. Upon reviewing the shop’s CCTV footage, Khamkar noticed that Ajaykumar was seen around midnight standing on a stool and examining the CCTV system, after which the cameras stopped recording.

Suspecting his involvement, Khamkar lodged a complaint with Kalachowki Police, who registered a theft case and launched a manhunt.

During the investigation, police received information that the accused had fled to his native village in Uttar Pradesh. A special team was immediately dispatched, which successfully tracked and apprehended him.

During interrogation, Ajaykumar confessed to the crime. Police recovered ₹10,47,520 in cash from his possession. He was subsequently brought back to Mumbai for further legal action.