Mumbai Crime: Woman Arrested for Stealing Gold, Diamond Jewellery Worth ₹10 Lakh After Intoxicating Businessman

The Andheri Police have arrested a wanted woman accused of stealing gold, diamond-studded jewellery, and cash worth ₹10 lakh from a real estate businessman after intoxicating him with alcohol. The arrested accused has been identified as Jayashree More alias Shweta Pawar, who is currently in police custody. Earlier, police had arrested her accomplice, Shobha Gawai, in the same case; she is presently out on bail. According to police, both women are habitual offenders with multiple criminal cases registered against them.

The 56-year-old complainant, a real estate businessman from North Goa, frequently visits Mumbai for professional work. In April, he had come to the city for business purposes and was staying at a hotel in Andheri after finishing work at Oberoi House. That night, he invited his acquaintance, Shobha Gawai, to the hotel. The two were in regular contact whenever he visited Mumbai.

On April 27, as planned, Shobha arrived at the hotel accompanied by her friend, Jayashree More. The trio had dinner and consumed alcohol together. Under the influence of alcohol, the businessman soon fell asleep.

The next morning, he woke up late and discovered that his bag containing gold ornaments weighing around 10 tolas, diamond-studded jewellery, and ₹20,000 in cash collectively valued at about ₹10 lakh was missing. He tried calling Shobha to inquire, but she did not respond. Realising that Shobha and her friend had stolen his valuables, he lodged a complaint with the Andheri Police.

Following the complaint, a case of theft was registered against both women. Police soon arrested Shobha Gawai, who confessed during interrogation that she had committed the theft along with Jayashree More. Since then, Jayashree had been absconding, prompting the police to launch a search operation.

After months of tracing, the Andheri Police arrested Jayashree More three days ago. However, the stolen jewellery and cash have not yet been recovered. Both accused women are known to be habitual offenders residing in Vashi, Navi Mumbai, and have several cases registered against them in different police stations, officials said.