Serial burglar arrested, stolen gold and silver worth eight lakh recovered

Nagpur: In a major breakthrough, Ajni Police arrested a serial burglar who targeted multiple homes across the city, including one in Rameshwari, from where valuables worth Rs 2.51 lakh were stolen last month. The accused, Afroz Shamshad Ansari (23), a resident of Girija Nagar in Bhandewadi, was nabbed during a routine patrol and later confessed to at least five burglaries in different police jurisdictions.

This comes after a complaint filed by Rishi Lakhanlal Patharia (40), a resident of Plot No. 27(B), Hawrapeth, Rameshwari. On April 23, Patharia, along with his wife Karisma and their 16-day-old son, left for Betul, Madhya Pradesh, to attend a wedding in their extended family. Upon returning on April 26 around 10.30p.m., they discovered the house was broken into. The front door lock was damaged, cupboard locks were forced open, and valuables were missing.

According to the FIR, the stolen items included multiple gold necklaces, chains, rings, mangalsutra, earrings, lockets, and silver ornaments, as well as Rs 10,000 in cash. The total estimated loss amounted at Rs 2,51,000.

A case of burglary was registered at Ajni Police Station. During the investigation, police teams conducted a CCTV footage analysis and tracked the suspect. Ansari was apprehended during a night patrol and brought in for questioning. He confessed not only to the Rameshwari burglary but also to four other thefts committed in the jurisdictions of Hudkeshwar, Wathoda, New Kamptee, and Ajni police stations.

The team subsequently recovered stolen property worth Rs 8.10 lakh, which included jewellery and valuables linked to multiple cases.

The action was carried out under the guidance of DCP Rashmita Rao (Zone 4), Senior Inspector Nitin Chandra Rajkumar, PSI Siddhant Maske, and a team of officers, including Manoj Neware, Pohwa Prakash Gadekar, Atul Tickle, Rahul Shende, and Avinash Changole.