KUMUD JENAMANI
Jamshedpur, July 1: Almost a month after a bag containing over Rs 10 lakhs was stolen from a house in Sonari, the police on Saturday arrested a private security guard for committing the theft.
The security guard, Prem Kumar Mahto, of the Tiger Security Agency had been hired by Kaushal Kishore Singh for watching his house at Pardesipara in Sonari during Singh’s daughter’s marriage, but Mahto had stolen the cash while the family members were busy in the marriage ceremony at a hotel in Bistupur.
Though lodged an FIR with the Sonari thana on June 1 having known about the theft, the police arrested the security guard from his house in Bokaro today.
While arresting Mahto, the sub-inspector Gautam Kumar recovered Rs 3,85,500 from his possession.
Mahto who would stay at an outhouse in Northern Town in Bistupur had already spent over Rs six lakhs from the stolen amount in buying furniture, mobile phones and meeting his son’s medical expenditure besides merrymaking with friends in Calcutta.
Revealing about the breakthrough, the Sonari thana OC, Vishnu Kumar Raut, said the detection of the theft was made possible thanks to the help of the district police’s technical cell.
“The security guard had been hired for two days only as the whole family members and relatives were supposed to be away in the Bistupur-based hotel during the marriage ceremony on May 31’s night. Singh had kept the cash in a steel almirah before keeping the almirah keys under the bed. Moreover, before leaving the house for Bistupur, Singh had kept the keys of the house on a toggle in the side wall, trusting the security guard. But the next morning, when Singh opened the almirah for the bill of the suppliers, he found the bag that contained over Rs 10 lakhs missing, ” narrated Raut while talking to the newsmen at the Sonari thana.
The OC said after all had left the house for the marriage venue in the Bistupur hotel, the security guard had opened the door and subsequently the almirah.
“Having stolen the bag, the 29-year-old Mahto had hidden it in a dustbin outside the house. He had also finished his guarding duty the next day even as the house owner had lodged a police complaint. Finally, when time came, he departed from the house, informing Singh that his duty was over now, ” Raut said.
The OC stated that they started probe targeting the security guard after getting some information from some fellow security guards of the Tiger Security Agency.
The security guard was on Saturday afternoon forwarded to Ghaghidih Central Jail after his production before a judicial magistrate.
