In a daring daylight robbery in the Nagpada area, four bike-borne assailants looted nearly 3 kg of gold from two employees of a jewellery firm on Thursday. However, in a swift operation, the Mumbai Crime Branch and local police arrested five accused within 12 hours and recovered the entire stolen gold, valued at ₹2.55 crore.
The arrested accused have been identified as Vinayak Ajay Dalvi (Kurla), Shahnawaz Hussain Khan (Sewri), Mangesh Pandharinath Shinde (Kurla), Abdul Hakim Abdul Qadir Shaikh (Nagpada), and Santosh Jain. Of these, Santosh Jain had previously worked with the same jewellery firm that was targeted.
According to the police, the robbery took place around 9 AM near the Diana Bridge in Nagpada. Two employees from a jewellery outlet in Kalbadevi were transporting the gold to a jewellery manufacturing unit in Lower Parel. The accused, who had been tailing them for several days, intercepted their two-wheeler on the bridge. One of the accused dismounted from the rear seat of his bike and snatched the bag containing the gold. Another bike-borne accomplice joined in, and to prevent any chase, they removed the key of the employees’ two-wheeler before fleeing the scene.
The loot included 1.5 kg of raw gold and 1.5 kg of gold ornaments.
The victim employees immediately alerted their employer and the Kalbadevi-based store. A formal complaint was lodged at the Nagpada police station, where a case of robbery was registered. Several police teams were formed under the supervision of Senior Inspector Pradeep Kale, and simultaneous efforts were launched by the Crime Branch.
Given the bold nature of the heist in broad daylight, an intensive investigation was launched. CCTV footage from the scene and along the escape route was examined closely. Investigators suspected an insider’s involvement since the robbers were clearly aware of the employees' route and movements.
Based on technical analysis and surveillance, the police tracked down and arrested all five suspects. During interrogation, it was revealed that Santosh Jain had leaked the movement details of the employees to the other accused. The gang reportedly planned the heist to repay debts and get rich quickly.
Police have recovered the entire stolen gold, which includes both raw gold and ornaments. Further investigation is underway to determine if the gang has been involved in similar crimes.