Vapi Bungalow Theft: Accused Arrested, Gold, Silver and Cash Seized
A man accused of a major bungalow theft in Vapi has been arrested from Mumbai's Dadar area, and police have recovered property worth Rs 18.28 lakh. The theft involved gold and silver jewellery and cash worth more than Rs 32 lakh, according to officials in Gujarat.
The incident took place on October 24 at bungalow A/4 of the Vraj Co-operative Housing Society on Charwada Road in Vapi. Police said the thief broke into the house through a window on the first floor, after cutting an iron grill and breaking a wooden frame.
Inside a wooden cupboard, the accused allegedly found about 142.61 grams of gold ornaments, nearly 900 grams of silver and Rs 12 lakh in cash. The total value of the stolen goods has been put at approximately Rs 32,62,482.
Vapi GIDC Police have booked the suspect under Sections 305(a) and 331(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. He has been identified as 38-year-old Atish alias Dancer, a labourer from Virar East in Palghar district, near Mumbai.
The investigation relied heavily on digital evidence. Police examined more than 200 CCTV recordings from the crime scene to Mumbai, reviewed records of people involved in similar offences and applied technical analysis to narrow down the suspect.
A secret tip-off led a team headed by Sub-Inspector J.G. Parmar of the Valsad Local Crime Branch to Dadar, where the accused was apprehended. The suspect and the recovered goods were later handed over to Vapi GIDC Police.
During interrogation, the accused told investigators that he had reached Vapi by train from Virar about two days before the theft. He said he got onto the metal roof of the bungalow, cut the iron window grill with a saw and forced open the wooden window with a screwdriver.
Police say the accused usually surveyed a neighbourhood for two or three days before committing a theft. After observing an area, he would allegedly target the rear of a closed house, cut the window grill and enter.
The seized items include three gold sets of necklaces and earrings weighing 35.95 grams (worth Rs 4.75 lakh), two gold bangles weighing 32.32 grams (worth Rs 4.26 lakh), a gold chain valued at Rs 1.03 lakh, diamond-studded gold earrings worth Rs 78,000 and other gold ornaments and coins.
Additional recoveries include a five-gram silver coin, Rs 5,48,800 in cash, two mobile phones worth Rs 10,000 each, and the screwdriver and saw blades used in the crime. Police have valued all the recovered property at Rs 18,28,780.
The accused has 69 cases registered against him in Gujarat and Maharashtra, including cases at police stations under Umargam and several in Mumbai. These cases, ranging from 2005 to 2026, involve allegations of theft, housebreaking, robbery and fraud. Vapi GIDC Police are continuing the probe.