Thane: The Thane Crime Branch Unit-3 (Kalyan) arrested a habitual offender with 33 prior cases to his name, cracking 21 housebreaking and theft cases spread across Thane, Navi Mumbai, Palghar and Thane Rural, police said.The breakthrough came while the team was probing a housebreaking case registered at Vishnu Nagar police station in Dombivli West. Through technical analysis, CCTV footage examination and intelligence from informers, police identified the suspect as Rajesh Arvind Rajbhar, 30, a resident of Dombivli originally from Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh. A team tracked him down to Azamgarh, where he was taken into custody, said Amar Singh Jadhav, DCP Crime.During interrogation, Rajbhar confessed to committing multiple burglaries across the region and revealed he stashed stolen gold and silver jewellery, along with cash, with his wife and brother, Rakesh Arvind Rajbhar, 32. Police recovered stolen ornaments and cash valued at ₹38,50,000.The 21 solved cases span several police stations, including Vishnu Nagar, Manpada, Tilak Nagar, Nalasopara, Kalsewadi, Narpali, Naupada, Kopri, Kalwa, Mumbra, Khadakpada, Badlapur East, Uran and Kalyan Taluka.Rajbhar’s criminal history revealed 33 prior cases registered against him across Thane Commissionerate, Thane Rural and Raigad regions, making him a notorious repeat offender.The operation was conducted under the guidance of Police Commissioner Ashutosh Dumbre. Further investigation is under way.
