Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], February 22 : Mumbai Police have apprehended the thief who stole Rs 40 lakh from the office of Bollywood music director Pritam Chakraborty.
The accused, identified as Ashish Bootiram Sayal, was arrested in Jammu and Kashmir after an investigation led by the Malad Police. The authorities also recovered 95 per cent of the stolen cash.
Sayal, aged 32, had been working as an office boy at Pritam Chakraborty's studio for over nine years.
On February 4, Sayal allegedly stole a bag filled with 40 lakh rupees from the studio. He had claimed that he was delivering the money to Pritam's residence, but instead fled with the cash.
The theft was discovered after Pritam's manager, Vineet Chheda, reported the incident at Malad Police Station.
According to a complaint lodged at Malad Police Station, Chheda had received the money a few days earlier for work-related purposes and left it in the office.
Sayal was present in the office at the time. Chheda left the office briefly to visit Pritam's residence to get some documents signed.
Upon returning, Chheda was shocked to find that the bag containing the 40 lakh rupees was missing.
Office staff informed him that Sayal had taken the bag, saying he was going to deliver it to Pritam's house.
However, when Chheda tried to contact Sayal, he found that his phone was switched off.
Chheda then visited Sayal's residence, only to find that he had disappeared. Disturbed by the situation, Chheda immediately approached Malad Police Station and lodged a formal complaint.
Upon receiving the complaint, Mumbai Police launched a thorough investigation, reviewing footage from 150 to 200 CCTV cameras in the area. This helped authorities trace the thief and identify Sayal as the prime suspect.
The Malad Police have been able to recover 95 per cent of the stolen cash. The authorities are now working to complete the investigation and ascertain further details about the theft.