February 22, 2025: Mumbai Police have successfully apprehended the thief responsible for stealing Rs 40 lakh from the office of Bollywood music director Pritam Chakraborty. The suspect, identified as Ashish Bootiram Sayal, was arrested in Jammu and Kashmir following a detailed investigation conducted by the Malad Police. Authorities were able to recover 95 percent of the stolen money.
Sayal, aged 32, had been employed as an office boy at Pritam Chakraborty’s studio for over nine years. The incident occurred on February 4, when Sayal allegedly stole a bag containing Rs 40 lakh from the studio. Sayal had claimed that he was delivering the money to Pritam’s residence, but instead, he fled with the cash.
The theft was discovered when Pritam’s manager, Vineet Chheda, reported the incident to the Malad Police. According to the complaint, Chheda had received the money a few days earlier for work-related purposes and left it in the office. When Chheda briefly left the office to visit Pritam’s residence, he returned to find the bag of money missing.
Office staff informed him that Sayal had taken the bag, stating that he was going to deliver it to Pritam’s house. However, when Chheda tried to contact Sayal, his phone was switched off. Upon visiting Sayal’s residence, Chheda discovered that he had disappeared. Concerned about the situation, Chheda filed a complaint with the Malad Police.
Upon receiving the complaint, the Mumbai Police launched an extensive investigation, reviewing footage from over 150 CCTV cameras in the area. This helped them trace Sayal and confirm him as the prime suspect in the theft.
The authorities were able to recover 95 percent of the stolen cash, and the investigation is ongoing as the police work to uncover further details about the crime.