'Spider-man' thieves caught

Cops nab two of gang who scaled building to get into Nigdi jewellery store, carried away 350 kg cash vault in Mundhwa

Scaling a two-storey glass-fa ade building to get inside a jewellery store or making away with a 350 kg cash vault was child's play for a Solapur-based gang of thieves, who left the police amazed with their Spidey-like abilities.

Arvind Deepak alias Ambya Jadhav (22) and Suresh Gulab Jadhav (23), residents of Sarvoday Colony in Mundhwa, were arrested a few days ago for the sensational Rs 1-crore jewellery theft in Nigdi at midnight on April 30.

The police said the similarity in style between the jewellery heist and a vault theft in Mundhwa that resulted in a loss of Rs 5 lakh led them to conclude that the Jadhavs' gang was involved in the second crime as well.

The names of three accomplices of the Jadhavs are now with the police, who have sent teams to catch them.

Dhoom-style job
Like comics superhero Spider-man, the gang would scale building walls to get to what they wanted and were all endowed with great strength.

"The suspects hail from Solapur and are highly skilled at their job. The Nigdi heist and the Mundhwa vault theft cases were examples of crimes committed by the gang that were akin to the daring heists shown in films like Dhoom," said Police Inspector Mohan Vidhate. "The suspects used to work as painters and labourers at various sites, and that training helped them reach Vishal Jewellers on the second-floor of the building in Nigdi. They are all well-built and can easily lift a 350 kg vault."

In the vault theft, the gang decided to take the 350 kg vault at Chamadia Distributors on the Mundhwa bypass with them as they failed to open it on the spot.

The two Jadhavs were arrested on July 3 by the Crime Branch. Police teams are now on their way to Solapur and Ambarnath to catch the other members of the gang.

"All the suspects have a past criminal record in the city, Solapur and Mumbai," said Vidhate. "Two are in police custody. Corroborative evidence has to be collected and recovery of the stolen jewellery and cash is yet to be made."