Pune: Rameshwaram Café Owner Robbed Of ₹1.32 Lakh After Milkman Cracks Digital Door Lock
Pune: Rameshwaram Café Owner Robbed Of ₹1.32 Lakh After Milkman Cracks Digital Door Lock
Pune, January 21, 2026: Pune police have arrested a milk delivery worker for breaking into a flat in an upscale housing society in Viman Nagar and stealing ₹1,32,550 in cash. The accused, identified as Venkatesh Vasant Karande, 34, resides in Jai Vishwakarma Society in Wadgaon Sheri and regularly delivers milk to the victim’s apartment.
The incident occurred on January 17 at a flat located on the fifth floor of Eminence by Naiknavare on New Airport Road. The complainant, Suryanarayan Rajartilam, 48, runs Rameshwaram Cafe in Viman Nagar and lives in the rented apartment with his family. According to the complaint, he left home early in the morning for work, leaving the digital password-enabled door secured. When he returned around 7 am, he discovered that cash stored in a kitchen cupboard was missing.
Upon checking CCTV footage with the help of society security staff, the milkman was seen entering the flat at around 6.28 am. Rajartilam then approached Vimantal Police Station and provided the details of the suspect.
Police arrested Karande on January 18 and recovered ₹1.32 lakh from him. Investigations revealed that he had been delivering milk in the society for two years and had been attempting to guess the digital lock password for several weeks before succeeding. Fingerprint checks on the keypad indicated multiple attempts to gain entry.
Officers stated that the accused has no previous criminal record. Police are also verifying whether similar attempts were made in other societies. Recovered cash included 243 notes of ₹500, 104 notes of ₹100, three notes of ₹200 and one note of ₹50. A case has been registered under Sections 331(3) and 305 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
