Ahemdabad:
A doctor's son arrested in Ahemdabad on charge of stealing mobile phones had turned to crime after being thrown out of home by his brother, police said on Wednesday.
Thirty-six-year-old Mumbai-based Raj Goswami would zoom into Ahmedabad, do a fast job picking up mobiles from hostels and hospitals and be back at his base after selling them off, police alleged.
They claimed to have seized 42 mobile phones from Goswami, who was arrested on Tuesday.
According to police, the total number may be many times more and they are looking for an Ahmedabad-based dealer who purchased the stolen goods from Goswami.
Student of a convent school in Delhi, Goswami went to college in Ahmedabad. He shifted to Mumbai when his father, a doctor, died.
During his interrogation, Goswami said he was kicked out of home by his brother who wanted to usurp the family property. Ahmedabad was familiar territory and he went to the city penniless.
He allegedly started stealing mobile phones four years ago.
"He had developed considerable knowledge and expertise in his chosen craft. He would come to Ahmedabad from Mumbai, carry out a recce of his target spots in the morning and move in for the kill the next morning between 6 and 8. The getaway would be equally fast. The time was chosen with care because this is the generally the time of shift change in hospitals."
In the case of hostels also, students are in a rush with morning chores to get ready for classes. So the system is at its most vulnerable, said constable Ramesh Sharma who was part of the team that nabbed Goswami.