Police investigating a burglary case have discovered a new modus operandi where the suspects used two women employees of a call centre
PUNE: Police investigating a burglary case have discovered a new modus operandi where the suspects used two women employees of a call centre to escort the victim while they cleaned out the house.
The Faraskhana police in the city on Wednesday said they have decided to make the two call centre employees witnesses in the case.
Police confirmed that the three suspects — Sheru alias Sarfaraj Babu Sheikh (21), Ijaj Mustafa Sheikh (21) and Imran Salim Sheikh (23) — all residents of Kasba Peth ‘hired’ the two girls to escort hotelier Vikar Mukhtar Sheikh (21) — son of former PMC corporator Mukhtar Sheikh, a resident of Kasba Peth. The three suspects, who were friends of Vikar, entered his house on May 19 and made away with money and valuables worth Rs5.50 lakh.
According to the police, the call centre girls took the victim for the film Jannat at a theatre in Camp area. The suspects then stole the house keys from his hotel cash box and made duplicate ones before committing the burglary. Investigation has revealed that Sheru convinced Vikar to go for a film with the two women.
After the film, the two women, both in their 20s, took Vikar to a flat at Wakad and kept him busy for the next three hours, giving the trio enough time to strip the house of valuables.
Senior police inspector VT Pawar, who is investigating the case, said the police have so far recovered booty worth Rs3.47 lakh. Pawar told DNA that the girls were hired by Ijaj and prime suspect Sheru. “The two call centre employees are friends of Ijaj’s fiancée and that is how the accused roped them in,” he said.
Though this is the first reported case in the city where female call centre employees have been used to escort a victim, Pawar said they were trying to find out if a similar tactic had been used in burglaries earlier.
Police said the two girls worked with a Kothrud-based call centre and earned between Rs12,000 and Rs14,000. They both belong to middle class families staying at Vishrantwadi, police said, explaining the girls are convent educated and are pursuing their B.Com degrees from a city college while simultaneously working at the call centre. Pawar said Sheikh in his complaint had said that the girls took Rs4,000 each to provide him company. However, during questioning the girls claimed they had taken only Rs2,000 each.
Police believe that the two girls were not aware of the burglary plot. “They were hired by the suspects to escort Vikar. The girls just wanted to earn some extra money.”
s_gitesh@dnaindia.net
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