The Naroda Police have arrested a 45-year-old woman for allegedly stealing gold ornaments from multiple jewellery shops across the Naroda, Odhav, and Sabarmati areas, solving four theft cases and recovering gold valuables worth Rs2.90 lakh.
The accused has been identified as Pravinaben alias Tini Solanki, a resident of Kishanwadi, Vadodara, and originally from Ambaliyala village in Thasra taluka of Kheda district.
The case came to light after a complaint was registered at Naroda police station under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for the theft of a gold watch from a jewellery shop near the Naroda crematorium crossroads. Acting on specific information, police detained the woman, who was reportedly wearing a purple dress at the time, and questioned her.
During interrogation, Pravinaben allegedly confessed to multiple thefts carried out over the past few months. Police subsequently recovered four stolen gold items, including two gold bars and two gold ornaments, collectively valued at Rs2.90 lakh.
Investigators revealed that the accused used a consistent modus operandi: she posed as a customer examining gold watches or ornaments in shops, swapped the genuine item with a fake or imitation piece she carried, and left the premises unnoticed.
The arrest led to the detection of four cases registered at Naroda, Odhav, and Sabarmati police stations under the relevant sections of the BNS. Police also noted that Pravinaben has an extensive criminal history, with several prior cases of cheating and theft registered against her in Vadodara, Kheda, and Ahmedabad districts.
