In a major breakthrough, police arrested Shaharuddin Mir, the prime accused in the Rs3.81 crore jewellery theft from a showroom in Ahmedabad, late Monday night in Surat. Mir, who worked as a peon at the showroom, had fled after committing the heist on Saturday night.
The theft came to light when showroom owner Pavitro Bera, a resident of Rameshwar Society in Maninagar, filed a complaint at Kalupur police station. CCTV footage clearly showed Shaharuddin entering the premises and committing the theft.
Multiple police teams were formed to trace the fugitive. On Monday afternoon, his location was tracked to Saroli area in Surat, where local police, in coordination with Ahmedabad police, arrested him near Kumbariya Three Road, close to Sarathi Hotel. The stolen jewellery was recovered from his possession.
Police investigations revealed that Shaharuddin had stolen a duplicate showroom key well in advance. On Sunday at 2 AM, he entered the showroom using the hidden key, took out the locker key from a safe, and stole gold biscuits and ornaments. CCTV footage showed him leaving the premises by 3:20 AM with a bag full of valuables.
The crime was discovered the next morning when Sukumar Samanto, a craftsman working at the showroom, informed Bera about the missing items. Police, along with senior officials, soon arrived and launched a full-scale manhunt.
Shaharuddin, originally from Harladaspur village in Hooghly district, West Bengal, had earlier worked at a jewellery store in Rajkot, police said.
All the stolen gold and jewellery have been recovered.
