Mumbai: Pizza Shop Employee Steals Day’s Collection After Pay Delay, Nabbed

A delivery executive allegedly decamped with ₹14,000 from the cash counter of a pizza outlet in Kandivali after claiming that his six to seven days’ salary had not been paid. The accused, identified as Sameer Rafik Shaikh, has been arrested by the Kandivali Police.

According to police, the complainant, Khushboo Yadav, a resident of Nalasopara, works as a manager at a pizza shop in Kandivali owned by Umang Jain and Nikunj Bhatia. The outlet employs nine staff members, and Sameer Shaikh had joined as a delivery boy around one-and-a-half months ago.

Police said Shaikh received his first salary on January 12. However, after receiving the payment, he allegedly began remaining absent from work frequently and would often leave early. As a result, he was reportedly told on February 15 not to report to work. At that time, payment for six to seven days was pending.

Shaikh visited the shop seeking his pending wages, but Yadav informed him that she could not process the payment and asked him to speak with owner Umang Jain, sharing his contact number. However, the conversation between the two did not materialise.

On February 18, Shaikh again came to the shop and renewed his demand for the pending salary. Jain reportedly asked him to return after a few days. Enraged over the delay, Shaikh allegedly went to the cash counter and took away ₹14,000 — the day’s collection.

Yadav and other staff members tried to stop him, but he fled the spot without heeding their requests. The incident was reported to co-owner Nikunj Bhatia, who advised Yadav to approach the police.

Based on her complaint, the Kandivali Police registered a case of theft and launched a search operation. During the probe, Shaikh was traced and taken into custody from Kandivali on Friday.

During interrogation, the accused allegedly confessed that he stole the cash in anger over non-payment of his pending salary. Following his admission, police formally placed him under arrest. Further investigation is underway.