Jeweller waylaid on Marine Drive, robbed of 3.6L

The trader’s car was held up by armed robbers near the flyover

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: A south Mumbai jeweller driving down Marine Drive on Saturday evening was waylaid by a group of four men and robbed of Rs 3.6 lakh and a cellphone.
 

    The robbers, armed with choppers and sticks, swerved their vehicle in front of Jayesh Vallahdas Zaveri’s car a little distance after Meghdoot flyover, bringing it to a halt. They broke its windows and assailed 53-year-old Zaveri. One of them reached in and snatched a bag holding the earnings from Zaveri’s jewellery shop and a mobile. The robbers managed to flee despite a witness on a motorbike giving them chase. 

    This is at least the third crime on Marine Drive in recent months. In August, additional municipal commissioner Mohan Adtani was robbed of his mobile while he was on an evening walk. In September, Meherjan Lamberaj, a manager with a private firm, was slashed with a razor when she fought back robbers trying to snatch her cellphone.  

 

Hoping for clues, cops look at car licence no. & CCTVs

Mumbai: In the wake of another serious crime on Marine Drive, assistant commissioner of police Padmakar Juikar said the force has taken many measures—including roundthe-clock deployment of teams near the NCPA, Air India building junction and Islam Gymkhana—to curb crime on the Queen’s Necklace.
 

    Juikar said that Jayesh Vallahdas Zaveri left his Kalbadevi jewellery shop on Saturday in an i10 to return to his Altamont Road residence. Behind the steering wheel was Zaveri’s driver Aslam Sayyed. And in the car were also Zaveri’s son Jaymijat and friend Dinesh Chale.
 

    “Soon after they crossed Meghdoot flyover, a silver Swift overtook them and stopped in front. Before Zaveri and the others could figure what was happening, four men holding choppers and sticks got down from the Swift and smashed their i10’s windows. One of them leaned in and took a bag and a mobile lying next to Zaveri,” said Juikar. Zaveri and the others tried to resist the robbers, but they were threatened. The jeweller sustained two cuts on his arm in the attack.
 

    The robbers ran back into their Swift and zipped away. Investigating officer inspector Rajendra Patil said a biker who witnessed the robbery chased the robbers, but in vain. “They dodged him and fled towards Chowpatty,” he said. Zaveri received first aid at G T Hospital and was discharged.
 

    The anti-extortion cell, property cell and the city police have formed several teams to nab the robbers. There was however no trace of them till Sunday evening. Sketches of the criminals are being made “We are finding out if the robbers were caught on any CCTV cameras. We have got their vehicle number. We are finding out if it was stolen,” said a police officer.
 

    Officers said the modus operandi in the Saturday crime was the same as that employed by the Ayyub Chikna gang. It has in the past robbed traders and jewellers on busy streets. Also, its members are known to use choppers.

The Times of India, October 21, 2013