Police constable held in Rs 7 crore jewellery theft case

Mumbai, May 3

A police constable has been arrested for his alleged involvement in the theft of ornaments worth Rs 7 crore from a jewellery shop in suburban Oshiwara, here, last month, an official said on Sunday.

The constable, Santosh Rathod, is attached to Oshiwara police station. Jewellery worth Rs 80 lakh was recovered from him, the official said.

Besides Rathod, a man, identified as Pankaj Ramlivar Gaud, who works as a sweeper in the housing society where the jewellery shop is located, has also been arrested, the Senior Inspector from MIDC Police Station, Jagdish Shinde, said.

“Rathod was arrested after his role was established in the crime. Ornaments worth around Rs 80 lakh were also recovered from his possession,” he said. He had been remanded in police custody till May 6, Shinde added.

The police had earlier arrested Vipul Ananda Chambriya (35), president of a city-based NGO, along with six others in connection with the case. Jewellery worth Rs 5.30 crore had been recovered from Chambriya.

Police said the owner of the jewellery shop, Rajkumar Luthra, had filed a complaint on April 22, stating that his jewellery shop was broken into using a gas cutter, and ornaments worth Rs 7 crore were stolen. PTI