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Pune Crime Files: How cops nabbed a serial burglar from Telangana, who got Bangladesh passport and worked as chef in Europe

Wanted in dozens of cases, Nevanath Vinod Kumar married a Bangladeshi woman, lived as 'Mohammad Bashar' in Dhaka, and worked in Spain and France before slipping back into India to strike again.

4 min readPuneUpdated: Mar 30, 2026 03:40 PM IST

The police team with the accused at the Alankar police station (Photo: special arrangement).

The Pune city police recently dismantled the elaborate double life of Nevanath Vinod Kumar, alias Mohammad Bashar Noor Mohammad, who allegedly married a Bangladeshi woman and lived in Bangladesh using a fake passport. A serial burglar with a decades-long criminal record, the 38-year-old BTech dropout’s journey took him from the streets of Telangana to Bangladesh, and then to the kitchens of France and Spain, before a theft in Pune finally ended his run.

On the night of March 14, equipment worth Rs 6.71 lakh, including specialised cameras and lenses, was stolen from The Territory, a wildlife tourism firm in Karve Nagar. Following an FIR at the Alankar police station, the police tracked a Royal Enfield Himalayan motorcycle using CCTV footage.

The police formed a team comprising Sub Inspectors Ganesh Dikshit, Mahesh Nimbalkar, Jagannath Bhosale, Assistant Sub Inspector Jagdish Talole, Havaldars Nishikant Sawant, Dhiraj Pawar, Someshwar Yadav, Rajesh Shelke, and Bhanudas Chandgude for the multi-state search operation.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Sambhaji Kadam and Assistant Commissioner of Police Sujata Tanawade coordinated with the search teams and police agencies from other states to trace the burglar.

Senior Inspector Ulhas Kadam said, “We checked several videos captured by CCTV cameras at various spots and zeroed down on a man seen riding a Royal Enfield Himalayan bike suspiciously from the crime scene in Pune to different parts of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. He was frequently moving from one place to another.”

Finally, after a six-day search, the burglar was intercepted in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, on March 20, with the motorcycle. When the UP Police searched the suspect, they found the stolen Pune gear, but it was his personal documents that left them stunned.

Kumar allegedly possessed a Bangladeshi passport under the name Mohammad Bashar Noor Mohammad, an Aadhaar card with his original photograph, but a different name.

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They also found a diverse stash of foreign currency, including US dollars, Chinese yuan, Malaysian ringgit, Singapore dollars, Canadian dollars, and Bangladeshi taka.

The UP Police booked him at the Ramnagar police station in Varanasi under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Immigration and Foreigners Act. Intelligence agencies also joined the probe, though officials said that no terror links have been established so far.

The UP Police handed him over to the Pune police on March 26 after completing the legal procedures. ACP Tanawade said a Pune court remanded the accused to police custody for five days.

The evolution of a fugitive

The investigation revealed that Kumar, originally from Rangareddy, Telangana, was a BTech dropout who turned to crime as early as 2011. “He was linked to at least 36 burglaries across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana,” said Sub Inspector Dikshit.

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The police said his life took a cinematic turn when he fell in love with a Bangladeshi woman at a beauty parlour in Hyderabad. To evade the police, he allegedly crossed the international border illegally in 2019 and married her. He used forged documents to obtain a Bangladeshi passport under the name Mohammad Bashar Noor Mohammad, listing Dhaka as his residence, in September 2022.

Using this new identity, Kumar allegedly travelled to France and Spain, where he worked as a professional chef. The police suspect he returned to Bangladesh from France a few months ago.

Return to crime

Kumar’s return to India was reportedly prompted by financial pressure in Bangladesh, where he was allegedly booked in a ‘cheque-bounce’ case. The police said that around February 20, he illegally re-entered India via Nepal. He allegedly purchased a motorcycle in a friend’s name in Hyderabad and rode to Pune specifically to commit the burglary that led to his arrest.

The accused is currently in police custody in Pune. Meanwhile, police teams from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are waiting to take him into their custody for unsolved cases in their respective states.

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His wife is now in Bangladesh, while his paternal family members are in India, the police said.

Chandan Haygunde

Chandan Haygunde is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With over 20 years of experience in journalism, he is one of the region's most authoritative voices on crime, national security, and legal affairs. Professional Profile Specialization: He specialises covering issues related to Crime, Courts, National Security and Human Rights. He has done investigative reporting on incidents of terrorism, left wing extremism, espionage cases, wildlife crimes, narcotics racket, cyber crimes and sensational murder cases in Pune and other parts of Maharashtra. While working on the ‘Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) Fellowship on Tigers, Tiger Habitats and Conservation’ in 2012, he reported extensively on the illegal activities in the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra. He is at the helm of the widely read weekly series “Pune Crime Files”. He is widely recognized for his deep-dive coverage of the cases related to the Koregaon Bhima violence in Pune and the Elgaar Parishad investigation. Key Beats: His portfolio includes covering crimes mainly under the jurisdiction of Pune City, Pune rural and Pimpri Chinchwad Police, along with the sensitive cases from the state, being investigated by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Background: Before his long tenure at The Indian Express, he worked with other Marathi and English publications, giving him a unique grassroots understanding of Maharashtra's socio-political landscape. Awards and Recognition: He got the CMS PANOS Young Environment Journalist Award in January 2014 for investigative reports on illegal activities in Sahyadri Tiger Rerserve. He received the award for outstanding investigative journalism by the Lokmat group in Pune in January 2020, “Missing since 2010, Pune youth a ‘Maoist Commander’ in Chhattisgarh”, which appeared on July 9, 2019. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) In recent months, Chandan’s reporting has focused on high-profile terror case investigations, inter-state firearms racket, leopard movements in Pune city, cyber scams and hearings of the Koregaon Bhima Commission of Inquiry. 1. High-Profile crimes and terrorism cases “Techie linked to Al-Qaeda preached democracy is against Shariat” (Nov 17, 2025). Reporting on the ongoing investigation into the arrest of IT professional Zubair Hangargekar (37) from Pune for alleged terror links. “The case against Jyoti Jagtap, member of ‘Maoist front’ Kabir Kala Manch and Elgaar Parishad organiser, granted interim bail by apex court” (Nov 20, 2025) Tracking the updates in the high profile Elgaar Parishad case related to the alleged naxal activities in urban areas. “How NIA arrested doctor turned ‘ISIS recruiter’ in Maharashtra terror module case” (Nov 24, 2025) After the arrest of doctors in Delhi Red Fort blast, a report on alleged terror links of a consulting anaesthetist from a Pune hospital. “A year after loco pilot averts tragedy by spotting gas cylinder on railway track, probe still inconclusive” (Dec 8, 2025). Report on the unsolved case of a suspected sabotage incident, which could have derailed a train. “No records of Sambhaji Maharaj’s cremation available: Author, ex-IAS officer Vishwas Patil tells Koregaon Bhima panel” (Dec 1, 2025) Reporting on a sensitive issue related to the Koregaon Bhima violence. 2. Inter-state firearms racket "Pune police swoop down on ‘village of pistols’ in Madhya Pradesh; 36 detained, 50 kilns destroyed" (Nov 22, 2025) "Recce a week before, microplanning: how Pune police raided ‘village of pistols’ in MP" (Nov 24, 2025) Reporting on the illegal gun manufacturing units in Umarti village, Madhya Pradesh 3. Cybercrime & Financial Scams “Pimpri Chinchwad police arrest ‘bank account supplier’ with links to China, nationwide cyber scams" (Nov 27, 2025) An investigative look at the modus opernadi of international cyber-gangs cheating high-earning professionals across the country ‘Your case linked to Pahalgam terrorist’: Pune businessman loses Rs 1.44 crore to fraudster posing as NIA chief" (Oct 18, 2025) Report on the tricks played on cyber scammers cheating people through digital arrest frauds Signature Style: The Investigative Hit Chandan is known for his ability to cultivate deep-cover sources within the police and intelligence agencies. His writing often goes beyond the "police version" of events, providing historical context and identifying systemic lapses. He is particularly respected for his balanced reporting on sensitive communal issues and his persistent tracking of the Maoist urban-link cases, making his columns essential reading for legal experts and policymakers. X (Twitter): @chandan_pune ... Read More

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