Rajkot, Gujarat: The Ahmedabad Crime Branch has recovered 40 kg of stolen silver and arrested Pradeep Prajapati in connection with a major theft in Rajkot, where nearly 120 kg of silver was stolen, officials said on Sunday.
The theft was reported on February 4 from the Champak Nagar area. Unidentified suspects allegedly broke into the residence of Bipin, a local trader known to Atul Patel, during the early hours of Sunday, stealing silver valued at over Rs 1 crore.
CCTV footage showed the suspects arriving in a four-wheeler between 2 and 2:30 a.m. After Bipin alerted Patel, the police launched an investigation. The city Crime Branch examined CCTV footage and received intelligence that a portion of the stolen silver was being transported to Mehsana for sale.
Acting on this lead, a targeted operation resulted in the seizure of 40 kg of silver and the arrest of Pradeep Prajapati. Officials confirmed that the recovered silver is part of the stolen consignment.
The second accused, Mukesh Prajapati, remains absconding and is believed to possess the remaining 80 kg of silver. “We have nabbed Pradeep with stolen valuables. The other accused is still absconding, and efforts are on to trace him. Agents or buyers may also surface during investigation,” said a police official.
Preliminary findings suggest the theft was well-planned and involved multiple people. Police teams have been deployed in Surat and Vadodara to locate Mukesh Prajapati and recover the remaining silver. Investigation is ongoing to identify others linked to the crime.
