Bijnor police have arrested Naveen Chauhan (28) and three accomplices for allegedly drugging his wife and her family to steal valuables worth around Rs 3 crore in Nahtaur.
According to SP Abhishek Jha, jeweller Santosh Verma (65) had married his differently-abled daughter Swati (26) to Naveen about one-and-a-half years ago. Naveen had been living with his in-laws but had separated due to alleged misconduct.
On February 25, Naveen allegedly spiked tea with intoxicants, rendering his wife and in-laws unconscious. The accused then stole approximately 900 grams of gold, 40 kg of silver, and cash before fleeing the house.
The Nahtaur police, assisted by district SWAT and surveillance teams, arrested Naveen along with his accomplices Kunal Chauhan, Shivam Chauhan, and jeweller Shivam Saini. The stolen property was recovered, and a probe is underway to trace any remaining items.
During interrogation, Naveen reportedly confessed that the theft was planned due to dissatisfaction over family property transfers. Police also noted that the accused were planning to flee to Haridwar before being apprehended.
The case has been registered under BNS sections 123, 305(a), 317(2), and 317(5), covering poisoning, theft, and handling stolen property.
