Vasai heist: Unusual horn signal led cops to accused

According to the police, the armed dacoits arrested in the Vasai heist had been communicating with their ringleader using code words, as they had stopped using mobile phones weeks before executing their master plan

Manikpur Police in the Vasai area near Mumbai have arrested five people, including four dreaded dacoits, in connection with the gun-point robbery which took place at a jewellery shop on January 10. 

According to the police, the armed dacoits arrested in the Vasai heist had been communicating with their ringleader using code words, as they had stopped using mobile phones weeks before executing their master plan. After the heist, the robbers allegedly reached a hideout in Vasai and used a unique horn signal to alert their mastermind to open the door. However, the sharp-minded probe team deciphered the horn signal and successfully nabbed all the five suspects.

The mastermind of the Vasai heist has been identified as 46-year-old Vasai resident Royal alias Roy Sequeira, who has an extensive criminal history in and around Mumbai, the police said.

“It was a well-executed master plan of Sequeira, who had roped in men whom he met in different jails he was imprisoned in,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police Pournima Chougule-Shringi, adding, “All the accused are history sheeters, who had recently got bail in their respective cases registered at different police stations in Maharashtra.”

The other accused in the Vasai heist case have been identified as Anuj Chougule, Lalsingh alias Sitaram More, Sourabh alias Pappu Rakshe and Amar Nimgire.

More provided logistic support to the robbers in this crime while Nimgire is Solapur-based jeweller who bought the stolen booty from the gang, said police.

The Mira Bhayandar Vasai Virar (MBVV) Police officers scanned more than 600 CCTV footage after the heist but their efforts yielded no results. The cops were sure about the accused hiding in Vasai as they were not seen beyond a point in the Girij and Chulna villages of the city.

The police were on the brink of losing hope of solving the blind case, as neither the number plates of the getaway motorcycle were legible nor the faces of the robbers clearly visible in the footage, said an officer privy to the investigation.

'Unusual way to blow bike horn'
However, a breakthrough came when Assistant Police Inspector (API) Sachin Sanap from Valiv Police Station noticed an unusual horn signal while analysing the CCTV footage. 

“The motorcycle in question was seen blowing a distinct horn. After the horn was blown, a bungalow owner came running and opened the main gate to allow the bike to enter. This was the bungalow of Sequeira. The unusual way to play the horn was a signal to open the door,” said an officer privy to the investigation.

“It is an unusual practice to wear a helmet while riding a motorcycle in Vasai. But this rider had put on a helmet and a pillion rider was seated carrying a bag. Above all, the body language of both the men on the bike were almost similar to those who we had been desperately hunting for,” said the officer.

As the investigation unfolded, officers discovered that Sequeira had instructed the other accused to shut off their mobile phones before the Vasai heist to avoid detection. After the robbery, the suspects discarded their clothes, changed into fresh attire, and made their way to the Vasai Railway Station.

“Both the robbers: Chougule and Rakshe had switched off their mobile phones on January 3 to avoid detection. Also, after committing the crime, they had discarded their clothes and footwear to don afresh clothes. Later, the mastermind dropped them at an auto stand on his scooty, then both of them reached Vasai railway station, caught the train and disappeared,” said the officer.

The motorcycle used in the crime was stolen from Satara MIDC, the police said. “After the robbery, this motorcycle was locked inside one of the rooms at Sequeira's bungalow,” said another officer.

After getting the leads, all the detection staff from Manikpur and Valiv police stations began retrieving the details of the bungalow owner and learnt that Sequeira is a dreaded criminal against whom more than 12 cases are registered.

The detection staff first nabbed Chougule and his interrogations led to the arrests of the other gang members, said Sub-inspector Sanil Patil from Manikpur Police Station.

The cops have recovered an automatic pistol, one live cartridge and koyta (sickle) each, etc from the possession of the "hardened" criminals. The motorcycle has also been recovered, said the police.

The Vasai heist incident

Ratanlal Singhvi, 68, the owner of Mayank Jewellery shop at Kaul Heritage City in the Agarwal area of Vasai (West), was putting the shutters around 11 pm on January 10 when two armed men reached the spot and aimed a pistol at him. The robbers, who had arrived on a motorcycle, had covered their faces under helmets, face masks and hoodies.

After assaulting Singhvi with the pistol butt, the robbers decamped with valuables, approximately worth Rs 80 lakh, on their getaway motorcycle parked nearby.

After learning about the incident, a detection teams of six police stations, along with crime branch sleuths, had been working tirelessly on the case to track down the armed robbers.

The cops have recovered parts of the stolen booty, worth Rs 30 lakh, from the robbers.

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