Wall breach used to steal jewellery worth Rs 14.5 lakh, two arrested in Raipur
Raipur: Two men have been arrested for allegedly breaking through the wall of a jewellery shop in Ramnagar area of Raipur and stealing gold and silver ornaments worth around Rs 14.52 lakh, police said on Sunday.
The alleged mastermind, identified as 38-year-old Vishal Sachdev, had reportedly planned the burglary with his employee Suraj Dhimar and another accomplice after suffering financial losses in an ice factory he had set up in Mahasamund, police said.
The burglary took place at a jewellery shop near Karma Chowk in Ramnagar under Gudhiyari police station. According to police, the accused had first conducted a recce of the shop for several days before executing the plan.
The accused allegedly made a half-sized hole in the shop’s wall during the intervening night of September 26 and 27 and returned on the intervening night of September 29 and 30. They enlarged the hole, entered the shop and fled with gold and silver ornaments, police said.
The theft came to light on September 30 when the shop owner arrived at around 10.30am to open the premises. He found the plywood on one side of the wall fallen, furniture scattered and a large hole in the wall. The gold and silver ornaments displayed in the shop were also missing.
Following the complaint, Gudhiyari police registered an FIR against unidentified persons under Sections 331(4) and 305(A) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The Anti-Crime and Cyber Unit and Ramnagar police outpost jointly investigated the case under the supervision of Deputy Commissioners of Police (Crime and Cyber) Smritik Rajanala and (North Zone) Deepmala Kashyap.
Police teams examined thousands of CCTV camera recordings from the crime scene and surrounding areas and analysed the movements of suspected persons and vehicles. They also gathered information from the shop’s employees, nearby residents, informers and persons previously involved in thefts, including those recently released from jail.
Based on the CCTV footage, technical analysis and other inputs, police identified Sachdev and Dhimar and apprehended them. During questioning, the two allegedly confessed to carrying out the burglary along with another associate.
Police said Sachdev had taken loans amounting to lakhs of rupees to set up an ice factory in Mahasamund. After the factory failed to generate business, he suffered financial losses and was under pressure from people demanding repayment. Police said he then planned the theft with Dhimar, who worked at his factory, and another associate.
According to police, the accused selected jewellery shops and subsequently targeted the Ramnagar shop after conducting surveillance for several days. They first made a partial hole in the wall and returned three days later to complete the burglary.
Police recovered the stolen property and vehicles allegedly used in the crime, with the total value of the seized items estimated at Rs 14,51,700. The seizure includes gold ornaments worth Rs 50,000, around 3.5 kg of silver ornaments valued at Rs 7,91,700, artificial jewellery worth Rs 10,000, a Swift car (CG 04 MT 8303) and an unregistered Activa scooter.
The third accused allegedly involved in the burglary is absconding, and efforts are underway to trace and arrest him.
The arrested accused have been identified as Vishal Sachdev, 38, a resident of Raipur, and Suraj Dhimar, 32, originally from Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh and currently residing in Mahasamund district.
