Thief who stole only cheques for 10 years nabbed after he pocketed cash for first time

He managed to escape detection for 10 years, by stealing only cheques instead of cash.

According to police officials, Rajendra Mahadik alias Viraj Yadav, a driver, allegedly targeted offices, which had sliding windows and stole blank as well as signed cheques. He would trace the signature on to the blank cheque and steal the money.

Vishrambaugwada police nabbed him on Tuesday for allegedly stealing more than Rs 2 lakh from Kohinoor Agency in Sadashiv Peth.

The matter came to light on December 5 when the agency's manager Snehal Ghotankar found that cheques kept in a drawer were missing, along with Rs 11,000.

She also learnt that Rs 2,35,000 had been transferred in four transactions from the agency's account to one V R Yadav. She lodged a complaint with the Vishrambaugwada police station and alerted the HDFC branch in Sahakarnagar.

When Mahadik came to draw an agency cheque using his alias, the bank manager alerted PSI Suresh Jagtap, whose team then caught Mahadik red-handed.

PI Motichand Rathore, in-charge of Vishrambaugwada police station, said, "Mahadik worked as a private bus driver attached to an engineering college in Thathawade and was active in similar kind of offences for the last 10 years. We have recovered two laptops, cameras and several stolen cheques from him.

He would never withdraw more than Rs 50,000 so his misdeeds remained under wraps."