Mumbai: Former cash collection employee among two held for stealing Rs 3.41 lakh

The Samta Nagar police arrested two individuals, including a juvenile, for allegedly stealing Rs 3.41 lakh from the boot of a cash collection officer’s vehicle after allegedly tracking his movements. Police have recovered the entire stolen amount.

The theft

The complainant, Yash Sadanand Rajapurkar, 27, a resident of Malad East, works as a cash officer with Securitrans India Pvt Ltd. His job involves collecting cash deposits from account holders on behalf of the company. On June 12, Rajapurkar had collected Rs 341,262 in cash from 26 account holders and kept the amount inside his vehicle.

Around 12.30 pm, he parked the vehicle near the Pizza Hut outlet at Thakur Village, Kandivli East, and stepped away to collect money from another client. When he returned, the vehicle was missing from the spot. After searching nearby, he found it parked near Ganpati Tower in Thakur Village. The vehicle’s boot had been broken open, and the bag containing the cash was missing.

Cops trace accused

The crime detection team examined CCTV footage from the area and identified two individuals who were seen pushing Rajapurkar’s vehicle while wearing helmets. The investigation led officers to the Aarey area, where, with the help of informants, the accused were apprehended. The police arrested Aryan Ashok Sakpal, 19, a resident of Aarey Colony, and detained a 16-year-old.

Accused knew complainant

During the investigation, police found that Sakpal had previously worked with Securitrans India Pvt Ltd between February and May 2026. As part of his training, he had accompanied Rajapurkar for two days and had allegedly gained knowledge of the collection route and cash handling pattern.

Cash recovered

The police recovered the entire stolen cash amounting to Rs 3,41,262. The operation was carried out under the guidance of a senior police inspector, by a team led by API Yogesh Raut, along with PSI Rahul Walunjkar. Other team members included Police Constables Rajesh Tondwalkar, Jayesh Keni, Atul Nanaware, Daulat Salunke, Yogesh Sable and Nilesh Bhikale. A case has been registered at Samta Nagar police station.