In a swift action, Borivali Police arrested a domestic maid and her accomplice just hours after registering a case of theft involving ₹45 lakh cash stolen from the residence of a wholesale trader. The arrested accused have been identified as Anuradha Randive (36) and Ashfaq Islam Khan (28). Police have recovered ₹17 lakh in cash from the duo and are continuing their investigation to trace the remaining amount.
The complainant, Varun Ramesh Vasani, is a wholesale grocery trader residing with his family in Borivali. He operates a shop named ‘R.R. Thakkar & Company’ in the same area and deals in wholesale distribution of groceries. His business generates ₹7 to ₹10 lakh in daily cash earnings, which he usually brings home before depositing it in the bank after a day or two.
For household help, Vasani had approached a private agency named ‘Hire for Care Pvt. Ltd.’ based in Andheri. The agency assigned Anuradha Randive for the job. A native of Shirur, Pune, Anuradha began working at the Vasani residence from May 5.
On June 15 around 12:30 PM, Anuradha left the house without informing anyone. When the family noticed her absence, they tried calling her, but her phone was switched off. Concerned, Vasani’s wife, Lipi, lodged a missing person complaint at the Borivali Police Station.
Two days later, on June 17, when Vasani went to retrieve cash from the cupboard, he discovered that a bag containing the money was missing. Upon checking the CCTV footage of their housing society, they found that Anuradha was seen leaving the building on June 15 carrying the same bag. The bag reportedly contained approximately ₹45 lakh in cash.
Following the discovery, Vasani lodged a theft complaint with Borivali Police, who promptly registered an FIR and launched an investigation. Acting on CCTV evidence and technical inputs, the police managed to track down both Anuradha Randive and Ashfaq Khan. During interrogation, Anuradha confessed to the theft and admitted that Ashfaq had assisted her in executing the plan.
Both accused were arrested, and police successfully recovered ₹17 lakh in cash from them. Efforts are underway to recover the remaining stolen amount, and further interrogation is ongoing.