Mumbai: Rickshaw driver held for series of manhole cover thefts in Dahisar

A screengrab of the autorickshaw at the crime scene in Dahisar

The MHB Colony police have arrested an autorickshaw driver who allegedly stole several manhole covers at night with an accomplice. The accused, Narayan Bhimrao Ghayal, 35, resides in Sant Rohidas Chawl, Dahisar West.

According to police sources, the complainant, Dashrath Dhondiram Yedge, 36, a civil engineer with SKSP Associates, the company executing a sewer line project in Dahisar, under the BMC's R North ward, inspected the site on July 29 and confirmed that all manhole covers were intact.

The next morning, company supervisor Shivlal Chaudhary informed him over the phone that two covers were missing and shared photographs of the open manholes. When Yedge visited the location, he found both covers near the riverbank area missing and could not locate them nearby. The cost of the two stolen covers was estimated at Rs 10,000.

Narayan Bhimrao Ghayal, the arrested accused

Under the guidance and supervision of DCP Sandeep Jadhav (Zone 11) and Senior Inspector Harish Gawali, PSI Sandeep Gorde, along with his detection team, HC Sandeep Parit, HC Satish Devkar, PC Arjun Aaher, PC Sachin Manjule, PC Ganesh Shermale, and PC Aditya Rane (technical support) began the investigation.

"In recent years, several fatal accidents have occurred in the city due to open manholes. This year alone, the MHB Colony police station has recorded seven cases of stolen iron manhole covers. Considering the seriousness of the matter, police intensified their probe. While earlier cases yielded no leads, a breakthrough came last month when CCTV footage from the vicinity of a recent theft captured a certain autorickshaw," said an officer.

"While examining the footage and acting on a tip-off from an informant, police identified the rickshaw used in the theft. A surveillance operation was set up, leading to the arrest of the accused along with the vehicle. During interrogation, Ghayal confessed to stealing manhole covers with the help of an accomplice, Suraj Diwakar alias Gabru, who is absconding," an officer from MHB Colony police
station said.

"Ghayal was arrested and produced before the Borivli Metropolitan Magistrate Court, where he was remanded in police custody. The search for Gabru and the recovery of the stolen manhole cover is underway," said another officer. According to the police, over the last eight months, seven cases of stolen manhole covers were reported and registered at the MHB Colony police station.