After stealing from under their noses and forcing them on a wild goose chase through a filthy sewer, the burglar had left the Tardeo police in a foul mood for two months
Hanif Sheikh
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Embarrassed at being unable to prevent a robbery under their noses, the Tardeo police were left humiliated after they waded neck-deep in sewage but still failed to catch a petty thief. They finally caught him after two months.
In February, the Tardeo police were left red-faced after a burglar looted Rs 40,000 from two shops in their jurisdiction. Although the amount was not large, the cops were made to look like fools because the shops were a stone’s throw from the police station.
The cops zeroed in on three suspects -- Hanif Sheikh (32), his brother-in-law Saddam Sheikh (25), and associate Asaiyya Sheikh (27). They managed to nab Asaiyya first, but catching Hanif was harder. Further investigation revealed that the resident of Indira Nagar, Bandra (E) had over 100 housebreaking offences lodged against him.
The first time cops went to arrest him, Hanif Sheikh had already got wind of their arrival. Before they could even knock on his door, he managed to escape. Illustrations/Uday Mohite
"He was arrested and then let out on bail in the past, after which he decided to leave his territory and break into houses in Tardeo," said an officer close to the investigation.
First attempt
On March 3, API Pandhrinath Kande was tipped-off that Hanif would return to his home late at night. The police formed a team of officers and raided his house. "We knew he was living in Indira Nagar, opposite Bandra Terminus. At around 2.30 am, our team laid a trap near his home. But, just as we were about to knock on the door, we heard a loud splash behind the house. In the dark, we could see a man’s silhouette wading in the sewer," said one of the cops.
Cops heard a splash behind the house as the thief jumped into a sewer. In the dark, the cops could only see his silhouette as he waded in the sewage
API Kande jumped into the sewer, and other cops followed suit, wading in the neck-deep water and sludge. But, Hanif, who was familiar with the area, managed to escape their clutches. The team did manage to catch his accomplice, Saddam, but were even more determined to nab Hanif after the foul experience.
Cat-and-mouse game
They staked out his house for eight consecutive days, but he didn’t turn up. This time, the cops had made up their minds — they had to catch him come what may. The police deployed plainclothes cops near Hanif’s house for surveillance over the course of two months to keep track of his movements. "We noted his comings and goings, but he, too, would be tipped off by his friends and sources whenever the cops were around. Each time, he would escape. We kept doing this for two months, and in this period, we learnt that he doesn’t keep weapons on his person or at home," said the cop.
The police officers leaped in as well, but it was slow going for them in the neck-deep sludge. They lost sight of Hanif, who swam away, leaving them in a foul mood
Success, at last!
Finally, on the night of April 22, the cops made another attempt to catch Hanif. Constable Bhaskar Tambe, who had developed a network of informers in the area, was on watch. He gave the green light to API Kande’s team, who arrived in plainclothes and spread out in the area.
Around 2.30 am, Tambe knocked on Hanif’s door. This time, they managed to catch him by surprise -- Hanif was getting ready for another break-in.
Determined to catch him, the cops staked out his house for two months. On April 22, they finally managed to catch him by surprise, just as he was leaving for another burglary
"As soon as Hanif opened the door, Tambe pounced on him, and the other cops didn’t give him a chance to move or escape," said an officer.
"We have booked him under Sections 457 (house-breaking at night), 380 (theft) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code," said Sanjay Surve, Senior Inspector of Tardeo Police.
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