Friend steals Navi Mumbai woman's jewellery worth Rs 1.27 lakh

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, goes the adage. But, it seems it would be prudent to keep a close watch over your friends too. Koparkhairane cops have arrested a 23-year-old woman for allegedly stealing gold jewellery worth Rs 1.27 lakh from her friend's residence. Sources said, the accused, identified as Priya­nka Bhandari, stole 8 tolas of friend Sonali Wagh's wedding ornaments.

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Wagh and Bhandari are both pursuing a nursing course at the Mathadi hospital in Navi Mumbai.

A Koparkhairane officer said, "Sonali got married six months ago and was yet to deposit her wedding jewellery in a bank locker. She wanted to wear some of the jewellery on Diwali. But, when Sonali checked inside the cupboard for the ornaments on October 14, she couldn't find them. She immediately rushed to file a theft report."

During probe it was found that apart from Sonali and one of her relatives, only Bhandari had visited the Wagh residence between October 12 and 14. The officer said, "One of Sonali's relatives had been staying with the Waghs at that time. On October 13, Bhandari visited Sonali's home. Since Sonali was preparing breakfast, she asked Bhandari to fetch some clothes from the cupboard. It was then that Bhandari stole the gold."

During interrogation, Bhandari clai­med she has already sold the ornaments at a shop in Kurla. Assistant police inspector Sunil Gawli said, "We detained Bhandari based on suspicion. No outsider was involved in this theft, and Sonali recalls Bhandari accessing the cupboard. Bhandari has confessed to the crime. We are in the process of recovering the jewellery."