June 25,(Mid-day): The two men had been caught after robbing a diamond businessman’s house in Santacruz; after police took them into custody, they confessed to having drugged the actress’ in-laws last year and stealing from them as well

The duo who drugged the in-laws of actress Bhagyashree last year and made away with Rs 25 lakh in valuables was arrested recently. The two men had actually been apprehended after they robbed a diamond businessman in Santacruz, but they later confessed to the police to having robbed the actress’ in-laws last year.

Servant spikes food, robs actress Bhagyashree's in-laws of Rs 25 lakh

The accused have been identified as Sanjay Kumar Nishad (23) and Rakesh Jaiswar (28), both natives of Uttar Pradesh. It was Nishad who had found a job with the Dasanis — the actress’ in-laws — last year and proceeded to rob them. Nishad had told them his name was Ritesh.

Nishad drugged the victim couple, Pannalal (73) and Shakuntala Dasani (72), who stay in an Irla society. According to the police, on January 24, 2014, at around 9 am, Nishad served the couple their morning coffee spiked with several sleeping pills.

The elderly couple fell unconscious and, taking advantage of the situation, Nishad called his three other accomplices and the gang wiped the place clean, decamping with Rs 25 lakh in valuables and leaving the door ajar. It was the neighbour who noticed that the door was open and the couple had been knocked out cold.

The next-door neighbour informed Himalaya Dasani, their son and Bhagyashree’s husband, who then came home and called the doctor as well as the Juhu police. Himalaya also got to know that the house help was nowhere to be seen; according to the police, Nishad aka Ritesh had joined ten days prior to the robbery.

After the case was registered, police had arrested two of the four accused Rajesh Mahendra Chavan (23) and Chandan alias Mangal Ramashray (30) both residents of Bhayander who had fled to Uttan. Nishad and Jaiswar were at large .

Once too many

In the second week of June, the duo allegedly committed a robbery at a diamond businessman’s house in Santacruz. Here, too, the accused used the same modus operandi; one of them joined the house as help and informed the other when the coast was clear. In this robbery, the help waited till the house was empty and the duo made away with valuables worth Rs 57 lakh.

After the case was registered with Santacruz Police, the duo was apprehended. During questioning, police came to know that they had committed such acts at several houses. They also confessed to having robbed Bhagyashree’s in-laws in Juhu last year. “Jaiswar and Nishad have stolen from many houses by faking their names, getting a job as house helps, and ransacking the house.

Apart from the theft at Bhagyashree’s place and the diamond businessman’s flat, they also confessed to committing crimes in Tardeo and Marine Lines. Another accomplice of theirs, Mayaram Nishad (24), has been arrested by the Vijayapura police in Karnataka, with R60 lakh. He was the one who posed as help,” said Shrikant Desai, the investigating police officer from Santacruz police station.

The Juhu police have now got custody of the two accused till June 29. Pandit Thakre, police inspector, Juhu police station, told this paper, “Jaiswal and Nishad, who were arrested by the Santacruz police, have been identified as the ones who stole from Bhagyashree’s in-laws, the Dasanis, last year. They have confessed to the crime and investigations are still on.”