Nagpur: In a swift investigation, Wadi Police have cracked a high-value house burglary in Lava, arresting three suspects and recovering 90–95% of the stolen property. The breakthrough came after officers examined over 250 CCTV footages and tracked the accused to Raipur, Chhattisgarh.

The victim, Prakash Bajirao Idpate (62), of Khadgaon Road, Lava, had gone to Ujjain with his family on August 2, locking his home. On returning on August 5, he discovered the lock broken and valuables missing — including 19.24 tolas of gold ornaments, silver jewellery worth ₹3,000, and ₹1 lakh in cash.

CCTV footage revealed the burglary took place between 3 am and 4 am on August 3, with three masked intruders involved. The accused used part of the stolen cash to buy a second-hand Honda Brio for ₹2 lakh, which they later used to escape to Raipur via toll-free alternate routes to evade police detection.

Following a tip-off, police arrested Sheikh Altaf Sheikh Sharif alias Shanu from Yashodharanagar on August 8, which led to the identification of two accomplices. The police team then tracked them to Old Bhata Chowk in Raipur, where they tried to abandon the car and flee but were caught.

The operation, conducted under the guidance of DCP S Rushikesh Reddy, was led by Senior PI Rajesh Tatkare, in association with PSI Amit Bandgar, constables Ajay Patil, Roshan Phukat, Durgadas Makde, Rahul Botre, Someshwar Vardhe, and cyber expert Ashwin Chaudhary.