Police constable held in Rs 7 crore jewellery theft case

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, senior inspector from MIDC Police Station, Jagdish Shinde, said.

"Rathod was arrested after his role were established in the crime. Ornaments worth around Rs 80 lakh were recovered from his possession," he added.

He has been remanded in police custody till May 6, Shinde said. 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 that the owner of the jewellery shop, Rajkumar Luthra, had filed a complaint on April 22 stating that his jewellery shop was broken open using a gas cutter and ornaments worth Rs 7 crore were stolen.