Police in Udaipur on Monday arrested three men involved in a major jewellery theft worth Rs1.80 crore in the Kurabar police station area. The theif involved 100 kg of silver and 200 grams of gold.
The arrested accused have been identified as Shiva alias Shivlal Kanjar, Kalulal Kanjar, and Mahendra Kanjar—all residents of Vijaypur in Chittorgarh district.
Police have recovered around 30 kg of stolen silver from them, while efforts are ongoing to trace three other absconding accused.
According to Udaipur SP Amrita Duhan, seven police teams were formed under the supervision of DySP Gopal Chandel to crack the case.
Investigations revealed that the gang used a unique modus operandi. They traveled to towns and villages at night on motorcycles and disguised themselves in women’s clothing to avoid identification while conducting reconnaissance and executing thefts. To evade tracking, they avoided carrying mobile phones and communicated using coded bird sounds.
The accused specifically targeted locked houses and shops, carrying weapons during their operations. Police records show that Shiva has five previous cases registered against him, Kalulal has eight, and Mahendra has 16 cases related to theft and housebreaking.
During interrogation, it was found that a total of six individuals were involved in the crime. Police are currently searching for the remaining suspects: Arjun, Ramchandra, and Kundan.
The theft occurred on March 15 at Mohit Jewellers located in Sadar Bazaar. The accused looted silver and gold by packing them into sacks. They also damaged CCTV cameras and took away the DVR to destroy evidence.
However, footage from another shop in the market captured masked individuals carrying sharp weapons, which helped police identify and arrest the suspects.
Police said the shop owners lived in Udaipur and commuted daily, while tenants on the first floor had been away since March 11. The gang took advantage of the situation to execute the theft.
Further investigation is underway to recover the remaining stolen items and apprehend the absconding accused.
