Crime branch arrests serial mobile thief involved in 25 cases

Police said Rs 8 lakh was recovered from him and Rs 2 lakh was found in the bank account of his first wife. Representation pic

The Mumbai crime branch has arrested a robber who was involved in 25 cases of mobile theft. The suspect, identified as Ramnivas Manju Gupta, 35, a resident of Thane, was arrested in Nashik after stealing an entire mobile shop. He managed to make away with 67 iPhones, 57 Android phones, and Rs 25 lakh in cash.

The incident occurred in April of this year, and the case was subsequently transferred to the crime branch this month. During the investigation, it was discovered that the accused had been residing in Nashik under a different identity.

According to the Mumbai crime branch, the complainant in the case closed his shop around 12 am on April 28. The next morning, he discovered that the locks had been broken, and upon opening the shop, he realised that the mobile phones and '25 lakh cash were missing from the locker. The case was initially reported to the Vikhroli police station, but it was later transferred to unit 07 of the Mumbai Crime Branch.

The crime branch team diligently worked on the case and within a few days, they located the accused Gupta in Nashik, where he was living under a different identity. "He was apprehended from Nashik and brought to Mumbai. While checking his profile, we found 25 similar cases registered against him," said Lakhmi Gautam, the joint commissioner of crime.

During the investigation, it was also revealed that the accused had spent '15 lakh. Only '8 lakh was recovered from him, while '2 lakh was found in the bank account of his first wife. Gupta also purchased an iPhone 14 worth '98,000 for his first wife as a gift, and he bought a two-wheeler for himself. The officials are working towards making further recoveries in the case. Considering his criminal record, the police may invoke the Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA) against him.

The police have informed the court that the accused is not revealing information about the stolen mobile phones; indicating that he may have sold them to a mobile syndicate. In the same case, the police have previously arrested his associate, Ashish Pandey, while another accused remains absconding.

Rs 15 lakh
Amount the accused has already spent