Surat police have busted a staged Rs32 crore diamond theft and arrested four individuals, including the owners of the diamond unit who orchestrated the fake crime to recover losses from business debt.
The arrested include Devendra Chaudhary and his son Ishan Chaudhary, owners of the diamond firm, who were found to have planned the theft to claim a Rs20 crore insurance policy, which was set to expire on August 22.
According to Surat Police Commissioner Anupam Singh Gahlaut, a 150-member investigation team, comprising officers from the DCB and Zone 1, scrutinized footage from 150 CCTV cameras, and even sent teams to Rajasthan. The investigation uncovered that Devendra, burdened with Rs25 crore in debts, devised the plan along with his younger son.
They enlisted their trusted driver, Vikas Bishnoi, giving him Rs20 lakh to execute the fake theft. Vikas’ ticket to Dubai was booked for August 19 to prevent him from leaking the plan if caught.
The police also arrested Ramjeevan Bishnoi, while Hanuman Bishnoi, another conspirator, remains absconding. He had called three men from Maharashtra to break into the safe on August 16, but they failed.
Investigators noticed several suspicious details:
No signs of forced entry—keys were used.
Fire safety equipment and security cameras had been removed.
The watchman was fired days before the incident under the pretext of cutting electricity costs.
Devendra had recently discussed insurance claims with his agent.
The motive was clear: with Rs13 crore mortgaged, Rs10 crore in pending payments, and other liabilities, the Chaudharys attempted to use the fake theft to make a fraudulent insurance claim.
Further investigations are ongoing, and efforts are underway to nab remaining suspects.
