Cops say earlier theory of a child being sent in seems implausible owing to the height at which the treasury chests were kept and the strength needed to break into them
Cops say earlier theory of a child being sent in seems implausible owing to the height at which the treasury chests were kept and the strength needed to break into them
The modus operandi of Monday's multi-crore heist at VS Malandkar jewellery store in Kandivli (West) continues to be shrouded in mystery. The police, who believed until yesterday that a child or a trained animal was sent to loot the ornaments through a small hole drilled into the wall of the store, are now looking at other possibilities.
The hole is about 12 inches wide and the police had concluded that it would not have been possible for a man to get into the shop through it. The theory of a young child wriggling through the hole has also been debunked now as the treasury chests were kept at a height and it would not have been possible for a child to break into them.
Ransacked: The jewellery store in Kandivli that was looted on Monday
"We earlier suspected that a child was used for the robbery, but it is unlikely that he could break into the strong lockers inside the shop," said an investigating officer. This has raised suspicion of the hole being drilled to mislead investigators. Cops suspect an insider may have tipped off the thieves about the vacant shop adjacent to the jewellery store.
Statements
Police recorded the statements of the employees and the owner of the store yesterday. They said the owner's statement had some loopholes as he claimed that the value of the stolen jewellery was Rs 1.50 crore. But, during investigation, they found that he did not have enough money to even install CCTV cameras.
"We are carrying on further investigation as a few things appear suspicious," said H Pimple, senior inspector, Kandivli police station. According to the police, the jewellery shop was supposed to undergo renovation and the building housing it is going to be redeveloped by a builder.
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