Mumbai: The Khar police has arrested an alleged thief, who is a carpenter by profession, who burgled the Khar residence of Bollywood actress Karisma Kapoor last month and fled with the wallet of her domestic help. The accused had used the help’s ATM card to withdraw Rs 50,000, CCTV footage of which eventually aided the police in nabbing him.

The accused, identified as Imtiyaz Ansari (35), a resident of Kamani in Kurla, had allegedly carried out five similar burglaries in the Borivali-Khar belt. The accused would call random phone numbers and propose doing carpentry work there, seek an entry and then flee with valuables. The accused allegedly revealed during his interrogation that he had carried out 18 burglaries so far, though the police could confirm only five of them during its preliminary probe against him. The police has learnt of Ansari’s involvement in cases registered by Bandra, Santacruz, Juhu, Amboli, Versova, Vile Parle and Borivali police stations.

“During his questioning, we learnt that Ansari had managed to enter the house of the actress and stolen a purse of her maid. We are still questioning him and trying to ascertain the number of crimes he has committed. We have also recovered some valuables,” said Paramjit Dahiya, deputy commissioner of police (zone IX).

After the theft at Kapoor’s residence was reported to the police, officials found out that the accused had used the maid’s ATM card to withdraw around Rs 50,000. The police secured CCTV footage from the ATM kiosk and began studying it. Ansari had been calling random phone numbers introducing himself as a carpenter and gaining entry into the residences of his victims, sources said.

The investigators began tracking the phone number he had been using to make the calls and finally with the help of technical intelligence identified the accused. During his questioning, Ansari allegedly revealed that he would enter houses, steal valuables when he got a chance and then leave the place quietly.

Ansari was produced before a local court and has been remanded to police custody till July 26 for further questioning in the cases against him. The police has also sought for details of theft cases involving a carpenter who has used similar modus operandi to enter houses.

Brazen act

• Imtiyaz Ansari (35), the accused, had fled with the wallet of Karisma’s domestic help.
• Ansari used to pose as a carpenter to gain access to houses and then steal from there.