In a shocking turn of events, Palasia police arrested Shivali Jadon on Sunday, who had previously filed a complaint regarding a massive Rs 1.5 crore theft at Shubhlabh Prime Apartments. Uncovering a web of deceit, the investigation revealed that Jadon had orchestrated the crime with the help of her brother-in-law, Heera Bahadur Thapa, and his accomplice, Pintu Mehra.
The incident initially began on March 13 when Jadon filed a report claiming that, after dropping her son at school, she returned to find her flat door broken and four bags missing from the cupboard. The bags, belonging to her live-in partner, Ankush, contained around Rs 1.5 crore in cash from a property deal.
During the investigation, police discovered that the accused had tampered with CCTV cameras, spray-painting them to obstruct the view. However, they managed to retrieve footage showing two individuals in burqas fleeing the scene on a blue scooter with the stolen bags. Further analysis of CCTV footage revealed a suspicious white car near the apartment. The car was traced back to Heera Bahadur Thapa, Jadon’s brother-in-law.
Thapa, a former constable dismissed in 2010 for illegal activities, had fallen on hard times after his dismissal and resorted to petty jobs for survival. His accomplice, Pintu Mehra, assisted in the burglary. After the theft, the duo handed over the stolen money to another associate, Praveen, who is currently on the run.
The investigation uncovered that Shivali had informed Thapa about the large sums of money Ankush kept in their apartment, fearing that he might abandon her. This fear led her to conspire with Thapa and his associates to execute the theft.
When police attempted to reach Thapa, his phone was turned off, prompting further surveillance. This led to the discovery that Thapa and Mehra were attempting to flee with the stolen assets. Police intercepted their vehicle near Bengali Square, recovering a trolley bag and handbag containing Rs 79.5 lakh in cash, along with gold and silver jewelry worth lakhs.
During interrogation, Thapa admitted to planning the heist with Jadon. The investigation also revealed that the pair had planned an attack on Ankush while he was hospitalized, intending to further solidify their scheme. All the accused have been arrested, and the stolen assets have been recovered.
