A shocking theft case from Mahabaleshwar’s Oxygen Hotel has come to light, where a man allegedly stole high-end items worth ₹10 lakh and attempted to flee the country. The thief sold the stolen goods to scrap dealers before planning his escape to Dubai. The Local Crime Branch (LCB) swiftly acted on intelligence inputs and arrested the main accused at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. Two scrap dealers who purchased the stolen goods were also taken into custody. The timely operation averted the suspect’s escape and led to a major recovery of the stolen material.
The three arrested individuals have been identified as Kanchan Kaliprasad Banerjee from Nalasopara, Karan Dashrath Ghadge from Ambawade Khurd, and Gautam Suresh Jadhav from Saidapur, both in Satara district. The robbery occurred between June 25 and June 28 at Oxygen Hotel in Mahabaleshwar. Items including electronic appliances, expensive furniture, and kitchenware were stolen. Satara Superintendent of Police Tushar Doshi immediately took action by assigning Police Inspectors Arun Devkar and Bapusaheb Sandbhor to lead the investigation. A special police team was formed and dispatched to the crime scene to begin collecting evidence and technical data.
Investigations led to the suspicion that one of the hotel workers was responsible for the robbery. Meanwhile, LCB Inspector Arun Devkar received confidential information that the main suspect was preparing to board a flight to Dubai. Acting on this tip, the police team rushed to Mumbai Airport. With assistance from Sahar Police, the suspect was arrested just as he was checking in for his flight. He confessed during interrogation and revealed that he had sold the stolen items to scrap dealers in Satara. The arrest was a critical breakthrough in the case.
Based on the suspect’s statement, police arrested the two scrap dealers who had purchased the stolen property. Authorities raided their warehouses and recovered items worth ₹10 lakh. In addition, they seized a truck and a tempo used in transporting the stolen goods. In total, property valued at ₹17.9 lakh has been recovered. The coordinated efforts of the Mahabaleshwar Police and LCB ensured a quick resolution to the case. Legal proceedings have been initiated against all three accused, and they remain in police custody as further investigation continues.