Nagpur: Addiction to drugs, an obsession with online betting and an overwhelming desire to maintain a lavish lifestyle allegedly drove two young men to become habitual thieves, targeting establishments and properties in the Butibori area to finance their expensive habits and outings with their girlfriends.
The Nagpur Crime Branch, Unit-1, has arrested both accused and recovered stolen property collectively valued at around Rs 6.71 lakh. Preliminary investigations have revealed their alleged involvement in six thefts in the Butibori area.
The arrested accused have been identified as Tanmay Ganvir (23), a resident of Bahadura Phata on Umred Road, and Harshal Chanekar, a resident of Bhiwapur. While Tanmay is engaged in event-related work, Harshal is pursuing B.Com and stays in a rented accommodation in Nagpur.
According to police investigations, the two had become acquainted around two years ago. They allegedly committed their first theft together in the Hudkeshwar police station area. Although the stolen booty was relatively small, their success in escaping police detection reportedly emboldened them to continue with similar criminal activities.
The duo subsequently shifted their focus to the city’s outskirts, particularly Butibori, believing that the relatively lower CCTV surveillance compared to Nagpur city would help them evade identification and arrest.
Using this strategy, the accused allegedly committed six thefts in the Butibori area. Despite repeated incidents, they managed to remain beyond the reach of investigators for some time.
Numberless two-wheeler exposes accused
The breakthrough came when Crime Branch Unit-1 personnel spotted Tanmay riding a two-wheeler without a number plate in the Bajaj Nagar area. Suspecting something amiss, the police intercepted him and subjected him to questioning.
During interrogation, several details of the alleged theft operations emerged. Tanmay reportedly disclosed his involvement in six thefts in Butibori along with his accomplice Harshal. Acting on the information, the Crime Branch subsequently traced and arrested Harshal as well.
Expensive habits behind thefts
Investigations also brought to light the alleged motives behind the thefts. According to police, Tanmay was addicted to consuming MD drugs and online betting, while Harshal was fond of maintaining a high-profile lifestyle.
Both reportedly had girlfriends and enjoyed travelling and visiting different places. However, their families’ financial circumstances allegedly made it difficult for them to meet their growing expenses and fulfil their expensive desires.
Instead of restricting their spending, the two allegedly chose theft as an easy means of arranging money for their lifestyle, outings and other personal indulgences.
Following their arrest, Crime Branch Unit-1 handed over both accused to Butibori police for further investigation and legal proceedings.
Police are now questioning the duo to ascertain their possible involvement in other theft cases and identify whether they had committed similar offences in areas beyond Butibori.
