Pune’s own ‘millionaire thief’ lands in Mumbai Police net

According to the V P Road police,they received a call around 10 pm from residents of Amrut Nagar at Walkeshwar about a robbery in the neighbourhood. “They heard the sound of a lock being cut open in the building and informed us,” said a police officer. A team reached the spot and arrested Prabhakar,who later confessed to 90 house break-ins in Mumbai.

On interrogation,the police found that Prabhakar is a millionaire,owns four bungalows in Pune and had even built a temple there. “Some call him Robinhood,for whenever he returns from Mumbai with the loot,he donates money to the unemployed and needy,” said the officer. Prabhakar has reportedly confessed to breaking into houses for the past 40 years. He said he usually lands in Mumbai around evening,hires a taxi and conducts a recce of an area,identifying at least five houses where the lights are switched off. He then breaks into the targeted houses,burgles them and hires a taxi to return to the airport. At times,he even takes the taxi all the way to Pune.

But this is not his first brush with the law. In fact,he is a veteran at getting caught and getting out on bail. According to investigators,a team of lawyers gets him bail every time he is arrested. “Since theft is a petty crime,it is not difficult for him to get bail,” said the officer. “This time,however,we will make sure he does not get out. We are running a background check on him to see how many times he has jumped parole,” said Anil Kumbhare,Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone II).