Vadodara: The crime branch arrested a Maharastra man for stealing gold ornaments worth over Rs 14 lakh from a passenger at the state transport (ST) bus depot here.The accused was identified as Avinash Kale, who committed the theft along with his wife Vaishali and another woman, Taramati Kale, in Dec last year.Police said the trio, all residents of Maharashtra, travelled to Vadodara in a car specifically to commit theft. After reaching the ST depot, they allegedly kept a watch on passengers boarding buses and targeted one commuter, stealing a purse containing gold ornaments.Investigators said they got crucial leads from CCTV footage, which showed the accused arriving and moving around the depot in a car. Based on the vehicle details, police traced the suspects to Maharashtra and a team was sent to Beed district, where they reside.Avinash was arrested, while Vaishali and Taramati are still absconding.During interrogation, Avinash told police that the stolen ornaments were handed over to a local jeweller to make new jewellery. The jeweller melted the ornaments and converted them into a gold bar, which was also seized by the police.Police said Avinash has three cases of loot and cheating registered against him in Maharashtra and Telangana, while Vaishali has two theft cases in Maharashtra.
