Palghar News: Four Held For ₹11.25 Lakh Student Fee Theft At Dandekar College

Palghar, Maharashtra: Police have arrested four men from Umbergaon, in Valsad district, Gujarat, in connection with the theft of ₹11.25 lakh in student fee collections from Dandekar College’s accounts department last month.

According to police, the incident occurred between 5:30 p.m. on July 23 and 7:45 a.m. on July 24, when unidentified suspects broke into the college premises and stole the cash stored in the office safe. A case was registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code at Palghar Police Station.

Suspects Traced to Umbergaon, Gujarat

Recognising the gravity of the case, Superintendent of Police Yatish Deshmukh assembled a special investigation team headed by Police Inspector Pradip Patil of the Local Crime Branch. Through technical analysis and confidential intelligence, the team identified the suspects as Shubham Virendra Singh (21) and Murli Manohar Pawar (23), both auto-rickshaw drivers from Umbergaon, Gujarat; Arun Lakhan Chavan (19), a construction worker from Umbergaon; and Farukh Firoz Khan, also a resident of Umbergaon.

Confession and Partial Recovery

The four accused were apprehended in Umbergaon on Monday and, during interrogation, confessed to the theft. Police recovered ₹4.05 lakh in cash of the stolen ₹11.25 lakh from their possession. 

Charges Filed Under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita

They have been booked under sections 305(A) (theft in a dwelling house) and 331(3)(4) (house trespass or house break) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, police said.

Ongoing Efforts to Recover Remaining Cash

The investigation is ongoing under PSI Dhanaji Kale of Palghar Police Station, with efforts to recover the remaining stolen amount.

Published on: Wednesday, August 13, 2025, 06:23 PM IST