Mumbai: Five held for stealing cable wires worth Rs 1.5 lakh

MUMBAI: Vile Parle Police on Monday arrested five men, including an employee of Adani Electricity, for allegedly stealing 180 metres of cable wires worth Rs 1.5 lakh. The case was detected within 72 hours after the cable roll was stolen from Vile Parle (East). The five were granted bail by the local court after the police did not insisted for their custody due to the Covid-19.The five were released on surety of personal bond.
The five—Sahebrao Aarote (33) and his four accomplices—were arrested from their homes in Kurla after the police team went through 40 closed-circuit television along the five kilometres distance from Vile Parle to Vakola that was taken on April 3 after stealing. The accused was caught after the DCP (Zone VIII) Manjunath Singe supervised the team—Vile Parle police senior inspector Alka Mandve, assistant inspector Kishore Doijad—and seized the entire stolen property.
Police said Aarote, employed with Adani Electricity, has kept the stolen cable in a godown at Vakola with the help of his associates who were paid Rs1000.
TOI learnt from police officials in the city that they have stopped insisting for custody due to the current Covid-19 scenario. Even the crime reporting has gone down due to the pandemic in the city. “The court decides granting of bail depending on the seriousness of the case which has got the punishment less than seven years,” requesting anonymity, a senior police officer told TOI.
Lawyer Aditya Pratap said according to the Supreme Court order, prisoners convicted or charged with offenses having jail term of up to seven years can be given parole. The apex court’s order was clear that the prisoners are being released in an attempt to avoid overcrowding in jails during the Covid-19 outbreak. “Depending on the nature of crimes the police decides for seeking custody. Unless it is not a serious offence in current scenario the cops are not insisting the court for getting custody,” said Pratap.