One arrested for stealing ornaments from marriage halls

PUNE: A pharmacy diploma holder was arrested by the crime branch on Monday for stealing valuables from marriage halls near Mhatre bridge. Gold ornaments worth Rs 4 lakh have been recovered so far.
The suspect, Ajay Chavan (29), is a resident of More Shramik Vasahat in Kothrud. He originally hails from Jalgaon. Chavan, who holds a diploma in pharmacy, had mortgaged the stolen gold with two gold finance firms in the city.“We have recovered the ornaments from both the firms,” said Prabhakar Dhamale, inspector of the anti-organized crime cell (south) of the crime branch.
Dhamale said his team was conducting parallel probe in a series of thefts reported in marriage halls, especially on the D P Road near Mhatre bridge. Constables Mahesh Nimbalkar and Sanjay Barkade got a tip-off that Chavan, who was on their radar, would be coming near a marriage hall on Monday. A trap was laid and Chavan was nabbed.
Chavan admitted to his involvement in two thefts at marriage halls located on D P Road.
How he operated
Ajay Chavan would dress well before entering marriage halls. He would first identify the parents or close relatives of the bride. “These are the people who carry bags containing cash or gold ornaments. On getting a chance, he would swiftly steal the bag and escape. So far we know Chavan was involved in two cases. He said he was involved in more such cases. We are trying to trace the complainants,” Dhamale said.