Cops arrest man who stole jewellery worth ₹1.5 cr

His love for the lavish life, though, was far greater – it compelled him to join a jewellery store, win the trust of his employer and painstakingly steal 70 pieces of jewellery worth ₹1.5 crore over four months before he quit in February

Thane: Rahul Mehta, 35, a resident of Nuapada, enjoyed eating at five-star hotels and visiting dance bars even though he was born into a poor family. His love for the lavish life, though, was far greater – it compelled him to join a jewellery store, win the trust of his employer and painstakingly steal 70 pieces of jewellery worth ₹1.5 crore over four months before he quit in February. On Friday night, the Nuapada police arrested him from Mira Road, after which he confessed to crime.

A person working at Rajwant Jewelers in Thane has been arrested by the thane Naupada Police for stealing jewelery worth 1 crore 5 lakh from the jewelery shop. (Praful Gangurde / HT Photo)

Mehta, who lived with his wife and two-year-old daughter in Nuapada, started working with the well-known Rajwant Jewellers in Thane, around two years ago. He gradually gained the trust of his employer and was assigned to handle important sales and purchases.

Taking advantage of his position, he started stealing different ornaments such as necklaces, earrings, chains and bracelets while handling bunches of jewellery at the store. Between November 2023 and February 2024, he stole 70 different pieces of jewellery, which he sold to jewellers in different parts of the city based on his contacts, said police officials.

Mehta’s activities came to light after he quit his job recently, said senior police inspector from Naupada police station, Abhay Mahajan. “We received a complaint from the jeweller stating many pieces of jewellery went missing from their shop between November and February. So we placed his phone number on surveillance and traced him to Mira Road,” he said.

“Mehta started dating a girl recently, and he spent lakhs of rupees to fulfil her demands. His wife knew nothing about all this, and assumed her husband was working hard whenever he did not stay at home at night,” said a police official.