Mumbai: In a dramatic breakthrough, the Mumbai police have cracked a sensational daylight robbery involving Rs 2.29 crore worth of gold jewellery in the bustling Sewri area, revealing it to be an inside job masterminded by a trusted company employee and his relatives from Rajasthan.
The Rafi Ahmed Kidwai (RAK) Marg police have arrested four accused including the complainant himself — an employee of the victim company — and successfully recovered the entire stolen haul weighing over 2 kilograms.
Incident Took Place Near Sewri Court In Broad Daylight
According to the police, the incident occurred on the afternoon of October 13. Shyamlabhai Hothibhai Rabari,31, employed as a delivery agent with ‘Master Chain & Jewels’, and his colleague Jagdish Kerabhai Aal were returning to the company’s factory in Kalachowki after collecting hallmarked jewellery from Quality Assay and Hallmark LLP in Sewri West.
Robbers Fled With Bag Containing Over 2 Kg Of Gold
As they approached Zakaria Bunder Road near the Sewri Court around 2:30 PM, two men on a motorcycle allegedly rammed into their two-wheeler twice. When the delivery men stopped, one of the assailants pulled out a pistol, threatened them, and snatched a black bag containing 2,067.143 grams of gold jewellery valued at Rs2.29 crore before fleeing the scene.
FIR Registered At RAK Marg Police Station
Following the incident, Shyamlabhai informed his employer Raj Kothari, who accompanied the two employees to file a complaint at the RAK Marg police station.
An FIR was registered under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Sections 309(4), 126(2), 3(5), along with Sections 3 and 25 of the Arms Act, and Section 37(1) 135 of the Maharashtra Police Act.
Eight Teams Formed Under DCP Ragasudha To Crack The Case
What initially appeared to be a high-stakes armed robbery soon turned into a case of betrayal and calculated conspiracy. Under the guidance of Deputy Commissioner of Police Ragasudha R (Zone 4), Senior Inspector Vinod Tawde formed eight separate police teams.
Investigators reviewed hours of CCTV footage from the crime scene and adjoining areas and gathered technical evidence that led them to question the original narrative.
Employee Himself Found Involved In Fake Robbery Plot
Suspicion quickly fell on the complainant himself. As investigations deepened, police discovered that the robbery had been staged by Shyamlabhai with the help of his colleague Jagdish and two relatives from Rajasthan, Bhanaram Bhagraj Rabari, 21 and Lilaram Nagji Devasi, 21.
Accused Arrested From Gujarat; Entire Gold Recovered
Following digital leads and surveillance, police traced the two outside accomplices to Odhav village in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. A team was dispatched, and both Bhanaram and Lilaram were apprehended in Gujarat while trying to flee to their native villages, Maitripada and Maruwada in Raniwada Taluka, Jalore district of Rajasthan.
All 2 Kg Of Gold Jewellery Recovered From Accused
Police recovered the entire stolen gold, all 2,067.143 grams, from the arrested individuals along with their mobile phones, an official said. Further interrogation revealed that Bhanaram and Lilaram had previously worked with jewellers in Pune and Ahmedabad and were related to the two company employees.
Employee Masterminded Heist Due To Financial Troubles
Investigations confirmed that Shyamlabhai had been employed at Master Chain & Jewels for the past six to seven years and was well-aware of internal processes, including the movement of high-value consignments. Facing financial difficulties, he conspired with his colleague Jagdish and enlisted the help of his two relatives to stage the fake robbery.
Robbery Staged After Hallmarking Process In Sewri West
The jewellery had initially been handed over to a hallmarking agency — Quality Assay and Hallmark LLP on Acharya Donde Marg, Sewri (West) — on October 11. After the hallmarking process, Shyamlabhai and Jagdish collected the consignment on October 13 and staged the fake robbery while en route to their factory.
Four Arrested, Probe Continues To Trace Wider Links
With all four accused in custody and the stolen jewellery recovered, the police have successfully solved the case within days. However, further investigation is underway to rule out any wider network or additional links to similar crimes.
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