The Nashik city police crime branch (Unit 3) apprehended three women on Friday for allegedly stealing cash and jewellery valued at Rs 23 lakh from a couple during a bus journey. The suspects were arrested from a shanty near Ozar Airport road following a detailed investigation.
Complaint and Initial Investigation
The case originated from a complaint filed on June 9 by a 62-year-old land broker from Dhule. He reported that he and his wife were traveling by bus from Dhule to Nashik to visit their son. The wife had gathered all their gold and silver jewellery along with cash, securing them in a small steel box placed inside their luggage.
During the bus journey from Shahada in Dhule to Nashik, the couple placed the bag on the overhead luggage rack. They admitted to dozing off during the four-hour trip. However, they recalled three women boarding the bus at Umrane and standing near their seats. Upon arriving at their son's residence, they discovered the steel box missing and lodged a complaint at the Gangapur police station.
Police Investigation Leads to Arrests
Crime branch unit 3 officials met with the complainant and meticulously reviewed three days of CCTV footage along the route from Umrane to Ozar. They spotted three women matching the victims' descriptions alighting from the ST bus at Pimpalgaon Baswant and boarding an autorickshaw. The police tracked down the auto driver, who provided information on where he had dropped the passengers. Acting on this lead, the police arrested the three suspects on Friday.
According to police sources, no recovery of the stolen cash and jewellery has been made so far. The investigation is ongoing.
