AHMEDABAD: A 32-year-old man allegedly broke through a shared wall between two shops to steal 387 cartons of firecrackers worth Rs 11.23 lakh from an adjoining shop sealed by police in Dholka, Ahmedabad district. The accused allegedly carried out the theft at night and later rebuilt the damaged section of the wall to conceal the crime.




Dholka police arrested the accused, identified as Pankaj Rajeshbhai Rana, a resident of the town, after receiving a tip-off about the missing stock. Police said the stolen firecrackers had earlier been seized in a case registered under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Explosives Act.




According to the police complaint, officers had seized 387 cartons of firecrackers of different brands, valued at Rs 13.23 lakh, from a shop in Shriram Market in Dholka over alleged violations of safety and explosives regulations. The shop, numbered F/A-2, was locked and sealed after the seizure, with the stock left inside under police custody.




Rana allegedly rented the adjoining shop, F/A-3, about a month before the theft. Around 15 days before police discovered the missing stock, he allegedly entered his rented premises at about 8pm, broke through the shared wall using a hammer and gained access to the sealed shop.




He allegedly moved the cartons through the opening into his rented premises and later sold the firecrackers. To avoid suspicion, he allegedly used bricks and cement to rebuild the damaged section of the wall the following day.




Police said the breakthrough came after a head constable received specific information about the theft. When questioned at the Sindhi Gate police outpost, Rana allegedly admitted to breaking into the sealed premises and stealing the stock.




Police later inspected the premises in the presence of witnesses and a videographer after informing the court about the theft of the seized property. They found a breach in the shared wall and signs of recent masonry work. A search of the sealed shop revealed scattered empty cartons, damaged firecrackers and some remaining stock.




Police found that cartons containing 387 boxes of firecrackers, valued at Rs 11.23 lakh, were missing. Loose and unusable firecrackers worth another Rs 2 lakh were also recovered and seized as part of the investigation.




A fresh case has been registered against Rana under BNS sections relating to theft and house-breaking.