From reels to robbery: 8-day descent of a desperate man

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

Jobless, homeless, and estranged from his wife, a 28-year-old man turned to burglary after binge-watching theft tutorials on social media for eight days. The Jawaharnagar Police recently arrested him and seized two expensive mobile phones and a laptop.

The accused has been identified as Akshay Thorat (Vaijapur). According to the police, two mobile phones and a laptop of Omkar Nidhonkar’s (26, Satara) were stolen from his friend flat in Shrikrishnanagar. The incident occurred in Shrikrishnanagar and was clearly captured on a CCTV camera, which later became the key evidence in tracking down the accused. Following a tip-off, police traced Thorat to a food stall near Shahanurmiya Dargah Chowk, where he had reportedly started working. Sub-Inspector Prashant Munde of Jawaharnagar Police Station was investigating the case and led the operation to apprehend him. Investigations revealed that Thorat had quit his city job two months ago and returned to his native village. In a series of troubling actions, he allegedly sold his father’s and brother’s two-wheelers without their consent and defaulted on a loan of Rs 1.5 lakh. Eventually, he was ousted from his home and failed to pay rent at a new accommodation. Police suspect him to be involved in several such cases, including gold chain snatchings. After the theft on March 10, in which he stole the laptop and phones, Thorat is believed to have created fake bills to sell the stolen gadgets. During the court hearing following his arrest, Thorat’s father appeared in tears, expressing deep regret over his son’s descent into crime.