Mumbai Crime: Man steals bag with Rs 1.5 lakh cash from Grant Road station, nabbed within 12 hours

This picture has been used for representational purpose

The Government Railway Police (GRP) arrested a man for allegedly stealing a bag with Rs 1.5 lakh cash that a businessman had left behind at a railway station in Mumbai. Accused Sharad Rupnar, an electronics professional, was arrested within 12 hours after the railway police tracked him down by following a backward trail.

According to a report in Times of India, the alleged incident took place on February 13 when businessman Shankar Patel, who was in a hurry to board a train, left a bag full of Rs 1.5 lakh in cash at Grant Road station. He had been entrusted with the sum by his acquaintance Raghu Prajapati.

Patel, who lives in Bhayander, was supposed to meet an elderly woman and hand over the cash to her on Prajapati's behalf. As usual, he shut his establishment at around 7 pm and reached Grant Road station. At the station's platform, Patel sat on a bench and placed the bag next to him.

However, while boarding a train to Bhayandar in a hurry, Patel forgot to take the bag. Only after he crossed Dadar station, Patel realised that he left the bag at the station. He immediately got off on the next stop at Bandra and rushed to Grant Road station, however, by then the bag had disappeared.

Following this, Patel lodged a complaint. "We went through the CCTV footage and found that the bag was on the bench for quite some time. A woman sat on the bench and checked the bag but did not take it with her. Later a man in his 30s sat on the bench. After he got up and took a train, the bag had vanished," senior inspector Pradeep Salunke, Churchgate GRP, said.

Following the trail of surveillance footage backwards, the police found that the suspect had reached the platform from a foot over-bridge that lead to Lamington Road. Post this, the cops visited about two dozen shops in the area and after scanning the CCTV footage of several establishments, they learned that the accused had visited an electronics shop.

"We made inquiries about his purchase. He was to complete a project in Bandra with his work partner and had picked up only part of the supplies. We posted our men in civil clothes at the shop and when his work partner arrived to pick up remaining supplies, we questioned him. He led us to the suspect (Rupnar) at Bandra. Patel's money was recovered from Rupnar," SI Salunke added.