In an unusual turn of events, Gujarat Police officials dressed as street hawkers to catch hold of a notorious thief hiding in Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior.
The Ahmedabad Police adopted a unique approach to apprehend a thief within 48 hours after a lawyer filed a complaint about the theft of jewellery and cash worth Rs 1.5 lakh from his house.
Following the complaint, Sola Police Station initiated an investigation into the matter. After examining over 500 CCTV footage in the area, cops found that the thief, on an Activa scooter, had stopped at several places to have tea.
Later, the owner of the Activa scooter, who sold golgappas, was identified. Upon questioning, the vendor revealed that a friend from the village had used the Activa in recent days and had returned to Madhya Pradesh a day before.
Police told India Today that the thief, identified as Ashok Sharma, had returned to his village in Gwalior after committing the theft.
Subsequently, a team of Ahmebadad Police was dispatched to Gwalior to catch the accused. After reaching the village, the cops disguised themselves as street vendors, selling balloons and vegetable carts, to keep a discreet eye on Ashok Sharma.
While cops were monitoring his activities, Sharma called up his friend (the golgappa seller) asking if the police had reached his place.
However, the golgappa seller informed the police about Sharma’s call, and the cops advised him to take a video call with the accused, allowing them to identify the surroundings of his residence.
Later that day, as Sharma left his house, the police recognised him by his footwear and apprehended him. Upon interrogation, Sharma confessed to the theft and handed over the stolen goods to the police.
PSI D. Gadvi of Sola Police explained that the accused lived in a densely populated area, making direct access to his house difficult. Therefore, the police decided to deploy team members in different disguises to effectively monitor Sharma’s activities.
The strategic approach led to the swift capture of the thief within 48 hours. Sharma, already with a criminal record, is now facing additional charges, and further investigations are underway to determine the extent of his involvement in previous crimes.
Police also revealed that Sharma had come to Ahmedabad from Gwalior with two other individuals. However, both of them got scared and refrained from participating in the theft.