INDIA COMPUTERS STOLEN FROM OFFICESComputer spare parts thefts: 3 youths held, goods seizedComputer spare parts thefts: 3 youths held, goods seized
One of them wanted to repay his girlfriend, another is a student at MSU
Express News Service

Vadodara, August 9: Fatehgunj Police have arrested three youths in connection with two thefts in which computers and their spare parts worth Rs 2.56 lakh were stolen from two different offices located in one building. The police also seized stolen goods worth Rs 1 lakh from one of them.

While one of the three is a disgruntled ex-employee of one of the offices, the other one wanted money to repay his girlfriend. The third one is a student of M S University.

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According to police, computers, hard disks and spare parts worth Rs 1.3 lakh were stolen on July 30 night from the office of Geotek Laboratory at Cascade Complex near Chaani octroi gate. Miscreants broke in after breaking a lock on the main door of the office.

A few days later, on August 4, computer monitors worth Rs 1.26 lakh were stolen from the office of Prakash Software, located on the fourth floor of the same building.

After the first theft, the police were questioning all current and previous employees of Goetek Laboratory. They also recorded statements of ex-employee Ashish Pandya, who had been recently terminated by the company. But during further questioning, Ashish confessed about the theft and revealed names of two other associates. Based on his confession, the police arrested Prakash Christian alias Sunny and Popat Parmar alias Francis, both of Nizampura.

The the trio admitted that they had reserved a room in a hotel in Mumbai for a day, intending to dispose of the stolen goods there. But they later decided to sell some of the goods in Surat and did not go to Mumbai.

Prakash, who masterminded the theft, told the police that he was under compulsion to return 400 pounds he had borrowed from his UK-based girlfriend. ‘‘Ashish was fuming over his untimely termination following a dispute with his immediate boss. I placed the idea before him and he readily agreed,’’ stated Prakash.

The police recovered a soldering rod and a battery pack from his residence. They also recovered goods worth Rs 1 lakh from the Muljinagar residence of Francis.

Francis is a first year BBA student at M S University and the son of an income tax officer. ‘‘A local court remanded all the three in police custody on Tuesday. We are trying to trace the buyer in Surat who bought all the LCD screens stolen from Prakash Software.