Teen, Two Men Held in Thane Housebreaking Cases, Minors Detained

Police in Maharashtra’s Thane district have busted an alleged family-run burglary racket in which two men reportedly used their minor sons to carry out house break-ins and thefts in the Kalyan area, officials said on Sunday.

According to the Mahatma Phule Chowk (MFC) police, the accused targeted locked homes in residential societies and stole cash and jewellery. Police have arrested three accused, including a 19-year-old youth, while two minors have been detained in connection with the case.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Ashok Honmane said the investigation began after a complaint was lodged on May 8 in Kalyan West regarding a housebreaking and theft incident. Based on technical inputs and tip-offs, police arrested Kailas Vilas Bhalerao (19), a resident of Mohane in Ambivali, on May 13 and detained two boys aged 14 and 15.

During interrogation, police found that the fathers identified as Vilas Prakash Bhalerao (38) and Deepak Ashok Jadhav (40) allegedly conducted reconnaissance while working their regular jobs and identified houses that remained locked for long periods.

“They would pass on the information to their children, who then broke into the houses and escaped with valuables,” the official said.

Police said stolen gold ornaments worth Rs 21.6 lakh have been recovered from the accused so far.

Investigators suspect the gang was involved in at least three additional burglaries in the Kalyan region. Further investigation is underway to determine whether the group was linked to other similar offences in nearby areas.