Police Successfully Capture Thief Through Ingenious Social Media Trap
In a commendable feat of detective work, the Panaji police have cracked a blind case of theft at Dona Paula, Goa, which left no trace behind. The thief had managed to steal gold and diamond jewelry worth Rs 50 lakh from a house near the Goa Raj Bhavan. However, with their innovative approach, the police were able to apprehend the suspect using a fake social media identity and luring him to reveal his true identity and location.
The theft, which occurred on July 29, appeared to be the perfect crime, as the culprit left no clues behind. North Goa SP Nidhin Valsan described it as a completely blind case with only CCTV footage showing a person arriving on a bicycle with their face covered. Even after entering the house, the thief remained masked, making it difficult to identify them. Furthermore, the perpetrator targeted houses at random, searching for unlocked doors. The specific house they targeted was chosen purely by chance, as they found the door on the first floor to be unlocked.
After analyzing numerous CCTV footages, the police finally had a suspect after nearly a month of investigation. However, they faced the challenge of tracing their identity and place of residence. The suspect had used multiple mobile numbers, but the police managed to discover that one of the numbers was linked to an active social media account.
To catch the thief, the police created a fake online profile of a girl and engaged in several days of intense chatting. Through this clever ruse, the suspect eventually divulged their location and identity. It was revealed that the accused, Suredar Chhetri, aged 31 and originally from West Bengal, was in Jalpaiguri.
A team from Panaji police, led by PSI Sanket Pokhare, was dispatched to West Bengal with the assistance of local law enforcement. Chhetri was apprehended at the Siliguri railway station junction. Following this, he was brought back to Goa after obtaining his transit remand of arrest from the additional CJM in Siliguri.
Chhetri was produced before the JMFC in Panaji and was remanded in police custody for eight days. The police, accompanied by the accused, also visited Goregaon and Malad in Mumbai, where they recovered a portion of the stolen property. It was discovered that Chhetri had managed to obtain around Rs 3 lakh in cash from the theft, which he had used to gamble at a casino. He had also disposed of the jewelry at two different locations.
Investigations further revealed that Chhetri had been previously arrested by Bandra police in 2015. The case was cracked by the Panaji police under the overall supervision of SDPO Sudesh R Naik, with PI Panaji Nikhil Palekar and PSI Pokhare leading the team.
The success of this case speaks to the resourcefulness and determination of the Panaji police. By leveraging social media and their investigative skills, they were able to apprehend the thief and recover a portion of the stolen property. This ingenious method sets a new benchmark in solving blind cases, showcasing the power of technology and innovative thinking in the field of law enforcement.
