In-flight heist case: Delhi Police arrest two more suspects

New Delhi, May 23

The Delhi Police on Thursday arrested two more suspects in a series of high-profile in-flight thefts. The suspects were identified as Sanjay Jain (56), a jeweller from Chandni Chowk, and Mohit Maini (44), a resident of Ludhiana. They were arrested for their roles in the theft and subsequent sale of stolen items.

The investigation stems from an incident on April 11, when a passenger, Sudharani Pathuri had reported that her jewellery worth Rs 7 lakh was stolen during a flight from Hyderabad to New Delhi.

Another case was registered by Varinderjeet Singh, a US resident, who reported that jewellery worth Rs 20 lakh was stolen from his cabin bag during a flight from Amritsar to New Delhi on February 22.

The police had arrested Rajesh Kapoor, the key conspirator and a notorious jewel thief. His arrest led to the arrest of Sharad Jain, a receiver of the stolen jewellery. The police recovered stolen jewellery, including pearls, gemstones and gold items, from Jain’s possession.

Police officials said the investigation further revealed involvement of Sanjay Jain, a relative of Sharad Jain and a jeweller based in Chandni Chowk.

“Jain was found to have received and dismantled stolen jewellery items for resale. Despite initially denying any connection, evidence from WhatsApp conversations and incriminating photos led to his arrest. Subsequent searches resulted in the recovery of 36 green stones, gold jewellery weighing 30 gm and additional gemstones,” Deputy Commissioner of Police, IGI Airport, Usha Rangnani said.