
Mumbai police have arrested a former caretaker, Manoj Mandal (36), for stealing valuables worth Rs 12.9 lakh from his employer's home in Borivli between August 2024 and May 2025. The theft included…
Mumbai police have arrested a former caretaker, Manoj Mandal (36), for stealing valuables worth Rs 12.9 lakh from his employer's home in Borivli between August 2024 and May 2025. The theft included gold and silver ornaments and US dollars taken from a bedroom cupboard. Mandal had switched off his phone and moved from Mumbai to Bihar and then to Rajasthan to evade arrest.

During the investigation supervised by DCP Sandeep Ghuge, police found that Mandal had given some of the stolen items to his friend Sanjeev Hira (33). Both men, who hail from Madhubani in Uttar Pradesh, were arrested and brought to Mumbai by Borivli Police. Mandal's associate Hira has also been taken into custody.
This case mirrors a common pattern in urban India where domestic staff exploit access to high-value items over months. The stolen amount of Rs 12.9 lakh is substantial for a single household theft, but the real concern for homeowners is the lengthy period, nearly 10 months, during which the theft went undetected. Police typically rely on mobile location data and financial transactions to track fleeing suspects, here, Mandal's tactic of switching off his phone and moving across states made the investigation harder. The next step will be the duo's production in court for remand, where police will seek to recover the remaining stolen goods.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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