Mumbai: Sniffer dog and a 10-year-old girl help arrest two robbers

In December 2021, two armed robbers wearing masks robbed the Dahisar (West) branch of the State Bank of India. The assailants shot dead a contract worker and stole around INR 2.7 lakh from the bank. The police arrested both the accused in just twenty four hours after this incident. With the help of a sniffer dog and a 10-year-old girl, the police nabbed the accused. The bail application of both the accused is pending in the session court at Dindoshi and it is likely to be heard on January 1, 2024.

What exactly happened?

According to a report by the Indian Express, “On December 29, 2021, around 3.30 pm, two men entered SBI Bank on the ground floor of Gurukul Housing Society, less than a kilometre from Dahisar railway station. At this time, Sandesh Gomane, who was working as a 'customer friend' in the bank, got suspicious and tried to stop the robbers. At this time, an assailant shot Gomane in the next moment. The accused had hidden the gun in a black bag.

The robbers have been identified as Dharmendra (age-21) and his cousin Vikas Gulabdhar Yadav (age-19). Both are residents of Bhadohi in Uttar Pradesh and have looted around INR 2.7 lakh from the bank. While investigating this matter, the police checked the footage of 30 CCTV cameras. In this, the police found that both the robbers had gone towards the foot overbridge connecting Dahisar West and East.

Also, after the robbery, one of the brothers left his slippers in the bank premises before running away. On the basis of these slippers, the police reached the slum where the accused lived with the help of a sniffer dog. At the same time, a 10-year-old girl from the slum told the address of accused Dharmendra's house as per the description of the suspect by the police. 

After this, the police arrested both accused Dharmendra and Vikas. Dharmendra, who works in a catering service, told the police that his father was a farmer and had taken a loan of four and a half lakh rupees. The robbery was committed to repay the loan. Hearing in this case is likely to be held on January 1, 2024.