Behind spree of thefts in Vadodara, man with M Sc degree who recently returned from Canada after losing job: Police

In the footage of the thefts he allegedly committed from August 13 to 22, Patel was seen dressed in formal attire, carrying a backpack and armed with the bolt cutter as he nonchalantly walked into his targets, opened the cashier desk drawers and calmly pocketed the cash before exiting the place.

Police said that Patel, who was remanded to three days in police custody on Sunday, has told officers of the Gorwa police station that he had “no other choice” after losing his employment in Canada. Police said that prior to moving to Canada, Patel had earned an M Sc degree from a reputed University in Anand district.

Gorwa Police Inspector Kiran Lathiya told The Indian Express that apart from three thefts committed under Gorwa police station in Vadodara, Patel had also broken into a medical store in Bharuch C Division police station — carrying out all the thefts in the 10-day period between August 13 and 22.

Lathiya said, “The accused is a resident of Khambhat taluka’s Jalund village and had migrated to Canada, where he worked briefly as a driver. In May this year, he returned from Canada after losing his job and has been unemployed since. He began conducting recce of the places in Vadodara city and narrowed in on a couple of stores. He first committed a theft of a two-wheeler and then broke into two stores, including a dry fruit outlet and a restaurant using a bolt cutting wrench. In Bharuch town, he committed the burglary on August 20. We are probing if he has been involved in other cases.”

Patel worked as a driver in Ontario and the city police also recovered a Driver’s Licence, valid until 2029, issued to him in September last year. Police said that although the accused has confessed to alcohol addiction, he was not in an inebriated state when arrested. “He has told us that apart from the money he owes his creditors, he also became an alcoholic but since he was not found in an inebriated state, we have not booked him in any separate case for the same,” said an officer.

The police recovered Rs 1.97 lakh from Patel along with a motorcycle. Patel has been booked under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Sections 331 (house trespass) and 305 (theft) in two FIRs as well as under Section 303 (2) (theft) in the third FIR – all filed at Gorwa police station.