Theft at Vaghela's house, 'chowkidar' prime suspect

The Gandhinagar police has registered a case of theft of cash and jewellery worth Rs 5 lakh from the house of ex-chief minister of Gujarat, Shankarsinh Vaghela. The FIR, lodged on Sunday, suspects a domestic help couple from Nepal. Police said that they are trying to ascertain the allegations which will take time as the suspects have left for Nepal.

Police said that the FIR was lodged by Suryasinh Chavda who works at "personal office" of Vaghela at his house "Vasant Vagdo" in Gandhinagar. In his complaint, Chavda has said that Vaghela told him that the domestic help Vasudev Nepali alias Shambhu and his wife took their children back to Nepal by saying that they wanted their children to study in their own country. Chavda has said in the complaint that Vasudev's children were studying at International Public School in Gandhinagar.

Vaghela also told Chavda that jewellery worth Rs 2 lakh and Rs 3 lakh in cash, which were kept in a cupboard, were missing. Chavda has said that only Vasudev and his wife had access to this cupboard among the domestic help. The jewellery and cash were kept for a marriage ceremony of Vaghela's relative.

"We are probing the complaint. The domestic help couple from Nepal are suspect as they have not returned back," said a senior officer requesting not to be quoted. The veteran politician Vaghela recently joined NCP after leaving Congress.