Mumbai Theft News: Lokhandwala Bungalow Burgled During Owner's Goa Trip, Rs 45 Lakh Valuables Stolen

A New Year holiday in Goa turned traumatic for a Lokhandwala-based film and television production family after their bungalow was burgled and valuables worth nearly Rs 45 lakh were stolen. The incident took place while the family was away celebrating New Year’s Eve, leaving the house occupied only by the producer’s 82-year-old mother and a relative. The bungalow, located behind Magnum Tower on 2nd Cross Road, was allegedly targeted late at night. The theft went unnoticed for several hours, as the intruder managed to move silently inside the house while the occupants were asleep.

According to the police, the burglary occurred between 11 pm on December 29 and 7.30 am on December 30. The accused reportedly entered the bungalow by forcing open a bathroom window on the second floor. During the night, the elderly woman briefly woke up after hearing faint sounds but ignored them, assuming nothing was wrong. She later noticed that a bathroom window was not closing properly and believed the domestic staff may have opened it. The crime came to light only in the morning when household staff found rooms disturbed.

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Further inspection revealed that several bedrooms, including those belonging to family members and grandchildren, had been ransacked. A safe locker kept inside a cupboard was found missing. A detailed inventory confirmed the theft of diamond, ruby and emerald jewellery, a Cartier bracelet, gold ornaments belonging to the grandmother, silver utensils and household silverware. The burglar also stole foreign currency, cash belonging to a relative and a domestic help, three passports and signed blank stamp papers. The total value of the stolen items was estimated at approximately Rs 45 lakh.

Based on the complaint filed by the elderly woman, Oshiwara Police registered an FIR and launched a detailed investigation. Using CCTV footage, technical surveillance and local intelligence, police arrested habitual burglar Manoj Rathod, 40, from Virar East. Officers revealed that Rathod has over a dozen burglary cases registered against him across Mumbai and nearby areas. Nearly 90 per cent of the stolen property has been recovered, including documents that were dumped nearby. The accused remains in police custody as further investigation continues.