In a major theft case, Gunwant Singh (28), a longtime employee of Saaj Jewelers in Kalbadevi, Mumbai, and Jitendra Singh Rao (40) have been arrested for allegedly stealing gold jewelry worth Rs1.4 crore from the jewelry store. The two were involved in a sophisticated scheme where they manipulated the jewelry business’s shipment process to steal unsold jewelry.
Arvind Choradia, the owner of M/s Saaj Jewelers, had been running a successful wholesale jewelry business for 14 years. He had trusted Gunwant Singh, an employee since 2014, with managing the dispatch and collection of gold jewelry orders. The jewelry, shipped through BVC Logistics, was sent to gold traders in various states, including Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.
In January 2021, a shipment containing 3340 grams of gold jewelry was sent to Coimbatore to two major gold traders, Zaveri Brothers Diamond & Gold Pvt. Ltd. and Alukkas Gold Retail India Pvt. Ltd. After the sale of the jewelry, 1571.670 grams of gold remained unsold. Gunwant Singh, instead of sending the remaining jewelry back to the shop as per the usual process, concocted a plan to keep the jewelry for himself.
Gunwant Singh contacted Jitendra Singh Rao, a gold trader from Rajasthan, claiming that he could sell the unsold jewelry through Rao’s newly opened shop in Coimbatore. Singh convinced Choradia that Rao would purchase the remaining jewelry, and a voucher was prepared in Rao’s name for 1812.430 grams of gold.
Rao, however, kept delaying the payment. When Choradia followed up, he was met with excuses from both Singh and Rao. Despite repeated promises, the money was never paid.
By mid-2021, Gunwant Singh had left his job at Saaj Jewelers, and soon after, he stopped responding to Choradia’s calls. Jitendra Singh Rao, who had also stopped communicating, continued to evade Choradia’s attempts to retrieve the jewelry.
In January 2023, Choradia personally visited Jitendra Singh Rao’s shop in Coimbatore, only to find out that Rao was not in town and had no intention of returning the gold. Despite promises to meet in Mumbai, Rao failed to show up, and the jewelry was never returned.
Following a complaint filed by Arvind Choradia, the LT Marg Police registered a case under sections 34, 408, and 420 of the Indian Penal Code. An investigation was initiated, and the police are working to track down the remaining stolen items. Gunwant Singh and Jitendra Singh Rao were arrested, and efforts are ongoing to recover the full value of the jewelry.
The police are now questioning the two accused, and more arrests may follow as the investigation continues.
