Police Instagram post helps crack Nikol copper theft, trader identifies accused from viral arrest photos

A routine scroll through Instagram turned into a breakthrough for a Nikol-based trader, who realised that the men arrested by Vatva GIDC police for copper wire theft were the same individuals who had broken into his own factory in Kathwada and stolen material worth ₹1.99 lakh. The trader has since lodged a formal complaint, leading police to link the two incidents and uncover an additional theft.

The complainant, Bhavesh Antala, who runs a unit in Kathwada, had shut his factory on October 27 and returned the next morning to find the shutter broken. On entering, he discovered that around 35 copper wires worth ₹1.99 lakh had been stolen. CCTV footage showed five men breaking in and fleeing with the material. Though he informed police at the time, Bhavesh did not immediately file an FIR.

Days later, while browsing Instagram, Bhavesh came across a post uploaded by the Vatva GIDC police, announcing the arrest of three men involved in copper wire theft. Suspecting a link, he rechecked his CCTV footage. The visuals matched the faces of the arrested accused, prompting him to visit the police station, where he personally identified Rohit Tirgar and Shekhar Dantani as two of the men seen in his factory.

Although the gang had damaged the CCTV cameras inside the unit, police retrieved footage from the DVR that confirmed their presence during the break-in.

Following the confirmation, Bhavesh lodged an FIR at Nikol Police Station against Rohit Tirgar, Shekhar Dantani and three unidentified accomplices.

Officers said the arrests by Vatva GIDC police have now helped them crack the earlier Kathwada copper theft, demonstrating how social media posts by the police can aid victims in identifying suspects and linking unsolved cases. Further investigation is under way to nab the remaining accused and trace the stolen material.