Salesman funds lavish lifestyle after stealing Rs 1.05 cr jewellery from Thane shop; held

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Police have arrested a 27-year-old salesman for allegedly stealing jewellery valued at Rs 1.05 crore from a Thane shop, an official said on Sunday, reported news agency PTI.

The accused, Rahul Jayantilal Mehta, who maintained a lavish lifestyle funded by his thefts, was nabbed from Mira Road area on March 26 when he came to meet his girlfriend, Naupada police station's senior inspector Abhay Mahajan said, reported PTI.

The owner of the jewellery shop, located in Talao Pali area, approached the police on March 25 in connection with the theft following which an FIR was registered against the accused under Indian Penal Code section 408 (criminal breach of trust by clerk or servant).

The accused, who was responsible for overseeing sales at the Thane shop, allegedly stole 70 pieces of jewellery, weighing a total of 1.59 kg and valued at around Rs 1,05,55,766, between November 2023 and March 2024, the official said, reported PTI.

The accused was absent from work since March 8, 2024, and was reported missing by his wife on March 15.

As per the investigation, he travelled to neighbouring Mumbai, Indore in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and other places to evade being caught, the official said, reported PTI.

The police received a tip that he was planning to come to meet his girlfriend in Mira Road area on March 26.

Acting on this information, the police kept a watch and caught the accused when he arrived there, the official said, reported PTI.

Following the man's interrogation, the police came to know that he was maintaining a lavish lifestyle funded by the money accumulated from the thefts, including frequent visits to pubs and five-star hotels, he said, reported PTI.

So far, 900 gms of jewellery costing around Rs 62.10 lakh has been recovered from the accused, the police said.

In another case, the police in Maharashtra's Thane district have recovered mobile phones worth nearly Rs 15 lakh stolen from a shop last week after arresting the thief from Delhi, an official said on Friday, reported PTI.

Accused Firoz, alias Monu Nayeem Khan (29) broke into a mobile shop in Bhayander on the intervening night of March 20 and March 21 and fled with more than 22 high-end phones worth Rs 16.71 lakh, he said, reported PTI.

Police worked on CCTV footage and technical intelligence to zero in on Khan, a resident of Bandra in Mumbai, who was found to be in Bijnor in UP, said Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Madan Ballal of Mira-Bhayandar, Vasai-Virar police.

(With inputs from PTI)