A jeweller in Panvel and a fruit trader at the APMC market in Vashi were among the fortunate residents of Navi Mumbai who were able to get back property worth lakhs stolen from them in the past year.
The Navi Mumbai police on Tuesday returned 191 stolen goods worth ₹4.3 crore to the rightful owners in the presence of Maharashtra Director General of Police Datta Padsalgikar.
Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner Sanjay Kumar said the stolen goods included 63 items of jewellery, 60 two-wheelers and 29 four-wheelers. He said 244 vehicles were found abandoned in Navi Mumbai and 106 of them were put up for auction and sold.
Mr. Kumar said, “According to a recent Supreme Court judgement, stolen vehicles if found have to be returned to the owner or the insurance company within six months of the filing of an application claiming the property. We have returned goods like cash, cell phones, laptops and computers.”
Indersingh Chundawat, the jeweller based in Panvel, said one of his employees had stolen ornaments worth ₹16 lakh from his shop five months ago. “I am happy that the police were able to recover the jewellery. After the court’s formalities, I have got my ornaments back,” Mr. Chundawat said.
Fruit trader Sanjay Gawda said he had kept ₹25 lakh in cash six months ago at his shop in APMC market to make payments to farmers after an extended weekend. When Mr. Gawda returned to the shop after going out on an errand, he found the money missing. The police found that labourers had stolen the cash and nabbed them from Jharkhand. Mr. Gawda said, “I never thought my money would be recovered. Though not the total amount, the police were able to recover ₹16 lakh in cash from the labourers.”
Mr. Padsalgikar said that he was happy to be part of a positive initiative as people mostly spread negative news about the police. He said, “Every complainant’s appreciation for the officers mean much more than my appreciation for them.”
Mr. Padsalgikar also inaugurated a women’s cell in the commissionerate to resolve complaints of marital discord, a gymnasium for police officers, and a mobile hospital for the staff and their family members. He said, “The mobile hospital, which will frequent police stations, will have a doctor on duty and provide free medicines. The women’s cell will have space to accommodate a counsellor and officers.”