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For years, five to seven packets of milk would go missing every day from dealers’ delivery consignment in the Prabhadevi area near the Siddhivinayak Temple. Fed up of pilfering, one of the dealers, Sanket Goltakkar, 27, installed CCTV cameras with the help of locals and caught the suspect, Dattatray Kakade, a flower vendor from Dadar flower market, and handed him over to the police.
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Within days of setting up the surveillance system, footage captured a masked individual, dressed in black rain gear, discreetly lifting a few packets from the tray. Goltakkar said, “While the thief’s face remained obscured in most footage, luck favoured us on July 16 when headlights of a passing vehicle briefly illuminated his face.” Acting swiftly, he apprehended the culprit and alerted the patrolling police, who promptly escorted Kakade to Dadar police station.
Speaking to the FPJ, Goltakkar said, “These milk robberies have plagued us for years. Without CCTV, we could not explain the disappearances, and even suspected our suppliers.”
However, Goltakkar’s efforts faced initial resistance at the police station. When contacted, senior police inspector Rajendra Avhad indicated they would try to register an FIR. However, by the evening of July 16, the FPJ discovered that no plans were in place to file charges. The police cited the small quantity and meagre value of the stolen packets. Instead, they opted for a chapter case, a preventive measure taken when there is concern that an individual may disrupt societal peace. The police have assured to increase patrolling and deploy beat marshals to maintain law and order.
Kakade was issued a warning and released, with instructions to stay away from the area. He resides in Upendra Nagar, Dadar West.
