A rare heart-shaped diamond weighing 10.08 carats and valued at Rs4.55 crore was stolen from a trader’s office in Surat on June 24 but was later recovered 500 km away in Rajasthan. The diamond was found hidden under an earthen stove (Chula) in Sirhoi district.
The theft involved Chirag Shah, the owner of Akshat Gems, who was deceived by the main accused, Hitesh Purohit. Hitesh swapped the original diamond with a lab-grown replica, which had a much lower value. The theft occurred during a meeting on June 24, where Hitesh, after engaging in negotiations with Shah and his son since June 8, replaced the genuine diamond with the counterfeit. Hitesh then left, claiming he needed to withdraw money from a safe vault, only to disappear and disable his mobile phone.
After the theft was reported, the Mahidharpura police formed five teams to investigate the crime. One of the teams managed to track the diamond to Bant village in Sirhoi district, where it was concealed in the fireplace of the residence of Suresh Purohit, a co-accused. The police arrested Dalpat Purohit, a relative of Hitesh, who had received the diamond from Suresh. However, Hitesh and other members of the gang, including Ishwar Purohit, Kamlesh Purohit, and Suresh Purohit, remain at large.
The police teams were dispatched to Hitesh’s native village in Umedpura, Banaskantha, and Mumbai, where his brother resides. Dalpat, under questioning, revealed the location of the stolen diamond, leading police to excavate the earthen stove and recover the diamond.
The diamond theft has left the local jewelry trade in shock, and police continue their search for the remaining suspects involved in the gemstone heist.
