Mira Road: Two officers from Mira-Bhayandar Vasai-Virar (MBVV) Police Commissionerate have been conferred with the prestigious Central Home Minister’s Medal for Excellence in Investigation.

Senior police inspector Jitendra Wankoti and police inspector Sameer Ahirrao were among 11 police officers from Maharashtra who were honoured with the award. The medals and certificates were presented by Maharashtra’s Director General of Police (DGP) Rashmi Shukla at a ceremony held on June 13 at the Police Research Center in Pune.

Wankoti, while posted at Naya Nagar police station, played a pivotal role in solving a high-profile daylight armed robbery at the S Kumar Gold and Diamonds showroom in sector 4, Mira Road. Wankoti led a team that apprehended six accused from Jaunpur and Lucknow and recovered ornaments valued at Rs 1.54 crore.

Inspector Ahirrao of the MBVV Crime Branch Unit 2 was honoured for cracking a sensational murder-cum-robbery case while posted at the Nalasopara police station. Kishor Jain, owner of Sakshi Jewellers near the Nalasopara ST Depot, was brutally murdered on August 21, 2021. The assailants looted gold and silver ornaments from the shop. Within 24 hours, Ahirrao apprehended both accused — one from Tardeo in Mumbai and the other from Bhayandar.