A man who borrowed money to pay his child’s school fees and home’s electricity bill
has been arrested for allegedly robbing his creditor’s office on Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road.
Two men have been arrested in connection with the Tuesday evening robbery at the office of a film production house.
Police said the alleged mastermind — Vinod Rao — lived in the area and was known as a “friendly person”.
Rao and another man, identified as Mohammad Aftabuddin, were arrested on Tuesday night. Rao is a resident of a slum off Park Lane, near Park Street, while Aftabuddin is from Narkeldanga.
Harit Ratan, the owner of the production house, told The Telegraph that he had recently given ₹16,000 to Rao as a loan after Rao approached him saying he did not have the money to pay his child’s school fee and house’s electricity bill.
“We know Vinod as a good man. I lent him ₹16,000 so he could pay the school fees and the electricity bill. I was shocked that he was involved in the robbery,” Ratan said on Thursday.
Three men who had their faces covered with helmets barged into the office of the production house on the fifth floor of a building at 46C Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road on Tuesday evening.
They took away ₹7.3 lakh brandishing a knife and threatening to kill.
The men held a staff member hostage by putting a knife on his neck and demanded the money kept in the office.
The police said ₹7.3 lakh was kept in the office to be given to a man. The three took away the money in his presence.
Ratan said that a few hours after the heist, he had received a call from Rao, who sounded “concerned” about the robbery and offered help.
Rao was arrested late on Wednesday. His statement led to the arrest of Aftabuddin, who Rao allegedly recruited for the robbery.
The police said a portion of the robbed money had been recovered.