A meticulously planned diamond heist worth Rs 60.83 lakh shocked the gem industry in Rajkot last April. After a tense 45-day investigation involving extensive surveillance and undercover operations, police finally apprehended the mastermind, Ajay Nayaka, who executed the burglary with help from jail inmates and techniques learned on YouTube.
On the night of April 10, Nayaka broke into a diamond factory on Kotharia Ring Road, bypassing security by entering through a rear door and opening a heavy-duty safe using a magnetic drill machine sourced from Mumbai. Despite intensive scanning of over 100 CCTV cameras, Nayaka evaded capture by carefully avoiding camera zones, walking on central road dividers to stay off surveillance.
A multi-team police operation scoured the Saurashtra and South Gujarat region, interrogating diamond traders and known criminals. A critical lead came from an inmate at Rajkot jail who revealed that Nayaka had been researching “perfect heist” techniques, including advice on using the magnetic drill to penetrate reinforced safes.
Nayaka, a repeat offender with no fixed residence and no phone, was tracked through his associates in Surat and Valsad, where he was found hiding in Umerpada. During his arrest, Nayaka injured his hand trying to escape by jumping from a second-floor building.
Under questioning, Nayaka confessed to multiple reconnaissance visits, camping on nearby sheds to study the factory layout, and successfully breaking in on his third attempt. He also disclosed that after the theft, he hid near the scene for over an hour before fleeing on foot, unsuccessfully trying to sell the diamonds in Surat and Valsad.
Eventually, Nayaka returned to Rajkot and buried the stolen gems near an abandoned factory. Police recovered the diamonds and valuables worth Rs 61.09 lakh on May 29, based on his confession.
This case highlights the evolving methods criminals use, combining old-school planning with modern digital resources, and the persistent efforts of law enforcement to bring offenders to justice.
