Amid rising debts, worker steals 216 gm gold plate

The accused, Hanif Malik, in police custody

A 27-year-old employee of a jewellery-making unit has been arrested by the Kandivli police for allegedly stealing a gold plate worth Rs 8.65 lakh. The police stated that the accused, identified as Hanif Malik, committed the crime due to his mounting debt and the need to repay his loans. Hanif Malik, who hails from West Bengal, had recently relocated to Mumbai and was working at a gold factory situated behind Chandira Hotel in Kandivli West. During the investigation, the police traced the accused to Surat, where he was hiding.

According to the police officers, on June 16, the factory owner entrusted Hanif Malik with a 216-gram gold plate worth Rs 8,65,200 for the purpose of making gold chains. However, Malik fled with the gold plate from the factory the same day. The factory owner promptly reported the incident to the Kandivli police, who assembled a team consisting of Senior Inspector Sandip Vishwasrao, Sohan Kadam, Police Inspector Hemant Gite, Police Sub-Inspector Indrajeet Bhise, and others to apprehend the accused. With the aid of CCTV cameras and technical support, the police successfully tracked Malik's movements to Surat, leading to his arrest. Additionally, the police managed to recover the stolen gold plates.