Athief who operated strictly between 6 pm and 9 pm allegedly left almost no clues while carrying out six burglaries, but he made one crucial mistake during his seventh alleged offence — he was captured by CCTV cameras while slipping away from the .
That single piece of footage gave the Bangur Nagar police the breakthrough they had been waiting for. Investigators identified the suspect as Malad West resident Shabbir Salim Khan, 29, and then carried out a technical analysis of his mobile phone location. The analysis allegedly showed that his phone had been present near the locations of the previous six thefts on the dates when those crimes were committed between February and July.
The alleged burglar Khan was allegedly involved in seven theft and burglary cases registered within the jurisdiction of Bangur Nagar police station. Representation Pic/iStock
The investigation subsequently revealed that Khan, who lived in Ambujwadi, Malwani, was allegedly involved in seven theft and within the jurisdiction of Bangur Nagar police station.
Modus operandi
“Khan had committed a total of seven thefts in Bhagat Singh Nagar, Goregaon West. In total, around 69 tolas of gold ornaments, cash, and valuables were stolen,” a police officer stated. Police further alleged that Khan handed over the stolen property to two associates — Mohammed Asif Adil Khan alias Siblu, 26, and Mustafa Isa Siddiqui alias Bhuwar, 34, both residents of Malwani. The two were subsequently arrested. “We have recovered 18 tolas of gold, ‘74,000 in cash, an Activa scooter, and two mobile phones from the accused, with the total value of the seized property estimated at ‘17.38 lakh,” said a police officer.
Unique routine
According to police, Khan had allegedly developed a specific pattern. He would roam through residential areas after dusk, when residents would leave their homes to buy vegetables, groceries and other essentials. Police suspect that he would watch houses whose occupants had just stepped out after locking up in a hurry. Once he found an opportunity, he would allegedly break into the house, steal gold ornaments and cash, and disappear before anyone noticed.
The breakthrough
The breakthrough came while investigating a burglary reported on July 15, 2026, when a resident returned home between 7 pm and 8.45 pm and found the house broken into. According to the complaint, the thief allegedly broke the lock of the house and then forced open an iron cupboard and its locker.
“The thief allegedly escaped with approximately 105.5 grams of gold jewellery, a mobile phone and ‘80,000 in cash, with the total value of the stolen property estimated at around ‘5.63 lakh,” said a police officer. A case was registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. During the investigation, the police examined and subsequently arrested Khan.
The sleuths
Deputy Commissioner of Police Purushottam Karad, Zone I, north region; Assistant Commissioner of Police Vinayak Chavan; and the Senior Police Inspector of Bangur Nagar police station, PSI Yogesh Randhe, along with his detection team, carried out the operation. Police are continuing their investigation and suspect that further offences may come to light.