In a major breakthrough, the Ulhasnagar unit of the Thane Crime Branch arrested a Amit Vijay Gupta, a suspect involved in the theft of gold ornaments weighing 15 tolas and 5 grams from Balaji Jewelers in Badlapur East. The stolen items, including mangalsutras and necklaces valued at ₹10.85 lakh, have been recovered. Two women accomplices, who were part of the theft, remain unidentified and at large. The trio had entered the store pretending to shop for wedding jewelry, distracting the owner while they made off with mangalsutras and necklaces.
The incident occurred on August 17 , when the three suspects visited Balaji Jewelers claiming they needed gold mangalsutras and necklaces for a wedding. While browsing designs and asking the shopkeeper to prepare a bill, they managed to steal the valuable items. A case was registered at Badlapur East Police Station under sections 305 and 3(5) of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita on August 26.
Senior Police Inspector Ashok Koli led the investigation, utilizing CCTV footage and informant networks. Police Constable Rajendra Thorve played a crucial role in analyzing the footage and gathering intelligence. “We tracked Gupta to areas including Rameshwadi, Barrage Road, Sanewadi, Dahivali, and Kharwaigaon before arresting him at his residence near D-Mart on Barrage Road, Badlapur,” told PI Koli.
The recovered items include:
- Two gold mangalsutras, each weighing 5 tolas, valued at 3,50,000 rupees each
- A 1.5 tola gold rani haar necklace worth 1,05,000 rupees
- A 4 tola gold rani haar necklace valued at 2,80,000 rupees
The police are now actively searching for the two women accomplices involved in the heist, and further investigation into the case is ongoing.