Navy nagar ticket counter theft: Not a break-in, thieves had keys

Police said that the culprits behind the Rs 1 lakh theft at a railway ticket booking counter had duplicate keys

Even the military bastion in the city is not impervious to crime and theft, as a recent incident proves.

The Cuffe Parade police yesterday registered an FIR against unidentified persons for stealing close to Rs 1 lakh from railway booking counters in Navy Nagar in South Mumbai on Saturday.

The police suspect the theft is an inside job, as none of the locks in the building had been forced open.u00a0
According to the cops, on Friday night, some unidentified person(s) opened the main door of the reservation counter and got in.

Without breaking open the safe locker, they stole Rs 95,200 in cash.

On Saturday, when a clerk arrived at the counter, he found the locker open. He informed his superiors, following which a railway official lodged the FIR. Cops said that the thief had used duplicate keys to enter the establishment and even to open the safe.

"We have registered an FIR. It will be premature to talk of an insider's involvement but we have identified suspects. The thief has used duplicate keys," said Iqbal Shaikh, assistant commissioner of police, Colaba division.

The government had opened two railway reservation counters for the convenience of navy and army officials near the bus stop in Navy Nagar in Cuffe Parade.

Navy Nagar, a cantonment shared by the Indian navy and army in South Mumbai, is maintained by the military. But the law and order in the area is handled by the Mumbai police.

The theft has left residents of the area surprised as Navy Nagar is known for its high-tech security arrangements.

In the past, thieves had dared to rob the navy canteen in Navy Nagar, a secure zone. In September 2009, robbers gained entry to the Indian Naval Canteen Service and escaped with goods worth Rs 11 lakh from the duty-free shop.

The stolen items included 109 Sakura wristwatches, 58 pieces of diamond and gold jewellery and an iPod. The matter is still under investigation with Cuffe Parade police station.