Salesman funds lavish lifestyle after stealing Rs 1.05 cr jewellery from Thane shop; arrested

Thane: Police have arrested a 27-year-old salesman for allegedly stealing jewellery valued at Rs 1.05 crore from a shop in Maharashtra's Thane city, an official said on Sunday.

The accused, Rahul Jayantilal Mehta, who maintained a lavish lifestyle funded by his thefts, was nabbed from Mira Road area on March 26 when he came to meet his girlfriend, Naupada police station's senior inspector Abhay Mahajan said.

The owner of the jewellery shop, located in Talao Pali area, approached the police on March 25 in connection with the theft following which an FIR was registered against the accused under Indian Penal Code section 408 (criminal breach of trust by clerk or servant).

The accused, who was responsible for overseeing sales at the shop, allegedly stole 70 pieces of jewellery, weighing a total of 1.59 kg and valued at around Rs 1,05,55,766, between November 2023 and March 2024, the official said.

The accused was absent from work since March 8, 2024, and was reported missing by his wife on March 15.

As per the investigation, he travelled to neighbouring Mumbai, Indore in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and other places to evade being caught, the official said.

The police received a tip that he was planning to come to meet his girlfriend in Mira Road area here on March 26.

Acting on this information, the police kept a watch and caught the accused when he arrived there, the official said.

Following the man's interrogation, the police came to know that he was maintaining a lavish lifestyle funded by the money accumulated from the thefts, including frequent visits to pubs and five-star hotels, he said.

So far, 900 gms of jewellery costing around Rs 62.10 lakh has been recovered from the accused, the police said.