Two detained from Chhattisgarh in Rs 25 crore Delhi jewellery theft case

The Chhattisgarh police detained two suspects involved in a significant Rs 20-crore burglary at a jewelry store in New Delhi.

The arrest led to the recovery of approximately 18.5 kg of gold and diamond ornaments.

The operation was conducted by a joint team from the anti-crime and cyber unit along with the Civil Line police station in Bilaspur district.

Superintendent of Police Santosh Singh informed that the suspects, identified as Lokesh Srivas, allegedly linked to seven thefts in Bilaspur, and Shiva Chandravanshi, were apprehended.

Acting on a tip-off about Srivas being in Kawardha town, a raid was conducted, resulting in Chandravanshi’s arrest along with ornaments worth Rs 23 lakh, Singh said.

Singh added that although Srivas managed to escape, he was later traced to a house in Durg district, where the police recovered 18.5 kg of gold and diamond jewelry along with Rs 12.5 lakh in cash.

Further investigation revealed that the stolen jewelry originated from a store in New Delhi. Delhi Police have also joined the probe into the matter.

The burglary, one of the largest in the national capital, involved three perpetrators breaking into Umrao Singh Jewellers in south Delhi’s Bhogal, making a hole in a strong room, and fleeing with ornaments worth over Rs 20 crore, as well as Rs 5 lakh in cash.

The incident came to light when the shop owner discovered the theft upon reopening the store after it remained closed on Monday. The shop’s CCTV cameras were found damaged, complicating the investigation further. ( With inputs from PTI)