Three persons from Gujarat held for stealing Rs 15.9 lakh cash from vehicle in Palghar

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Three persons from Gujarat have been arrested in connection with the theft of Rs 15.9 lakh from a vehicle in Maharashtra's Palghar district, police said on Friday, reported news agency PTI.

The Valiv police apprehended the accused, Nitesh Bhutia (36), Dileep Bhojia (28), and Bharat Bhutia (38) from Surendranagar in neighbouring Gujarat on Wednesday, an official said, reported PTI.

The victim was riding his two-wheeler from Vasai to Range Naka signal on February 14 when three persons from Gujarat allegedly intercepted the vehicle and stole a bag containing Rs 15.9 lakh cash, he said.

Based on CCTV footage, technical inputs, and intelligence leads, the police zeroed in on the trio, senior inspector Jairaj Ranavre of the Valiv police station said, reported PTI.

"We have recovered Rs 9 lakh from the accused, and a probe is underway to trace the remaining stolen amount," he said.

In another case, a man allegedly sexually assaulted a seven-year-old girl in Maharashtra's Palghar district and fled to Surat in neighbouring Gujarat, from where he was arrested two days later, police said on Saturday, reported PTI.

The incident occurred on Tuesday at Achole in Palghar, they said.

During a probe, the police found that the 28-year-old accused, who hails from Rajasthan, had also allegedly molested another girl a few months back in Palghar, an official said, reported PTI.

"Around 12.30 pm on February 13, the accused entered the victim's building and forcibly took her to the terrace, where he committed unnatural sexual assault on her," senior inspector Shahuraj Ranavre of crime unit-II in Vasai said, reported PTI.

Based on a complaint lodged by the victim, a case was registered under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 377 (unnatural offences) and 363 (kidnapping), and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act at Achole police station, he said.

"The crime branch officials formed a couple of teams to trace the accused. They checked the CCTV footage of the locality and found that he lived in a slum colony in Nalasopara in the district. As per the intelligence inputs, the police came to know that the accused was travelling by Ajmer Express," he said, reported PTI.

A police team followed him and nabbed him in Surat with the help of the local crime branch officials within 48 hours, he said.

"During his interrogation, it came to light that the accused had dragged another seven-year-old girl in Nalasopara to an isolated place and tried to molest her," Ranavre said, reported PTI.

A case under IPC section 354 (assault or use of criminal force to any woman, intending to outrage her modesty) and the POCSO Act was registered at Tulinj police station in connection with that incident, he said.

(With inputs from PTI)