Three arrested for ₹1.5-crore jewellery store theft

The burglary was reported on January 29 when showroom staff opened the store in the morning and found the display windows shattered.

A 31-year-old burglar broke into a prominent jewellery showroom in Lajpat Nagar’s Central Market by scaling the rear wall, breaking into a bathroom on the first floor, then finally gaining access to the main showroom, where he decamped with jewellery worth ₹1.5 crore, police alleged on Wednesday.

The primary accused was arrested along with two associates who helped sell the stolen goods. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The primary accused was arrested along with two associates who helped sell the stolen goods. Police said a distinct design on his jacket in CCTV footage played a crucial role in identifying him.

Deputy commissioner of police (southeast) Ravi Kumar Singh said the alleged burglar, Mohammed Shoaib, was arrested along with Sumit Soni, 30, a resident of Madangir, and Manik Kadam, 42, a resident of Tigri, who received the stolen jewellery.

The burglary was reported on January 29 when showroom staff at Candere, a Kalyan Jewellers property, opened the store in the morning and found the display windows shattered and jewellery missing.

A case was registered and a probe team led by inspector Vishnu Dutt was formed, and a forensic team inspected the premises. Police found that a glass window on the first floor at the back of the showroom had been broken, providing entry to the burglar.

That night, he climbed an adjacent residential building and tried to enter through the roof but failed to break a lock. Instead, he broke into a nearby baby-products store and stole ₹26,200 in cash.

Shoaib, a repeat offender with eight cases against him, had been released on bail in November 2023. He was required to report to CR Park police on January 28. After checking in, he scouted the showroom as his next target.

On the night of January 29, he returned to Central Market around 10pm, bought alcohol, drank, and roamed the area before making his move around midnight. He scaled a pipe to the showroom’s first floor, broke a washroom window, and entered the premises. Once inside, he methodically smashed glass display cases and carefully removed jewellery from the ground and first floors. He remained inside for four and a half hours before escaping the same way.

Police said the showroom lacked a security alarm system. A security guard had lowered the shutters the night before but did not move the jewellery into a safe, which made it easier for Shoaib to steal.

After fleeing, Shoaib contacted Soni, whom he had met in jail, around 5am. He went to Soni’s house in Madangir, where he sold the stolen jewellery. He then travelled to Goa and later to Rishikesh, where he was finally arrested on February 6.

Police used CCTV footage and technical surveillance to track him down. Although Shoaib wore a cap to conceal his face, footage revealed he had arrived on a bike-taxi, allowing police to trace his mobile number. The breakthrough came when officers recognised the distinctive design on his jacket from security footage, confirming his identity.

Soni and Kadam were also arrested, and police recovered jewellery worth ₹1 crore.