A young woman from Mumbai, struggling with depression, was allegedly manipulated by a brother-sister duo from Delhi into stealing 4 kg of gold, silver, diamonds, and other jewelry from her family. The shocking incident came to light last month when the woman’s family discovered their locker had been emptied of valuables. After reviewing CCTV footage, they were stunned to find that their daughter was the culprit.
According to police sources, the complainant, a 58-year-old hotel business owner running a chain of vegetarian restaurants in Mumbai, lives in Malad East with his wife and their 26-year-old son. Their daughter, who had been married and was living in Surat, came to visit her parents in Mumbai in October. She stayed from October 12 to October 23, but when her father and brother left for Surat on business on October 24, the theft took place.
When the complainant and his son returned to Mumbai on October 26 after receiving news that the wife was ill, they noticed the family’s jewelry was missing. Reviewing CCTV footage, they saw that their daughter, who had arrived with one bag, left the house carrying three bags. When confronted, she rudely denied any involvement, and even refused to cooperate with further inquiries. The complainant then filed a theft complaint at the Dindoshi police station.
During the investigation led by DCP Smita Patil and Senior Inspector Ajay Aafale, the woman was summoned for questioning. She eventually confessed to the crime, revealing how she had been manipulated by the brother-sister duo, Ritu Ashok Prasad Singh, 30, and Mayankumar Ashok Prasad Singh, 19. The woman explained that she had been struggling with depression for years and had searched for counseling online. Through this search, she came into contact with the accused, who promised to help her. Instead, they took advantage of her vulnerable mental state, convincing her to steal the jewelry and hand it over to them.
The police traced the stolen items to a jeweler in Delhi, Aman Subhash Chauhan, 34, who also was arrested for purchasing the stolen goods. The woman’s confession led to the arrest of the brother-sister duo, while the woman, though complicit in the theft, was not taken into custody but was instructed to fully cooperate with the investigation.
