Man flees with gold bangle worth Rs 1.5 lakh from Naranpura shop

Ahmedabad: In a theft planned over several days, an unidentified man diverted the attention of a jewellery store owner and stole a gold bangle worth Rs 1.5 lakh in the Naranpura area on Tuesday.

According to the FIR filed by Ketan Patel, who owns Ambika Jewellers near the Naranpura Telephone Exchange, told police that the accused first visited the shop on May 7, pretending to be a customer interested in purchasing gold jewellery.

He told police that the man, aged between 30 and 35 years, initially enquired about a gold ring and chain and spent considerable time negotiating prices. Before leaving, he told the jeweller that he would return after arranging funds for the purchase, the complaint stated.

The man returned the next day and allegedly asked for bank account details and a photograph of a cheque, claiming he would transfer the payment online before collecting the jewellery. However, he did not return that day.

According to the complaint, the accused came back to the jewellery shop on May 14 at around 1.20pm when Patel was alone at the establishment. He again asked to see the gold ring and later expressed interest in purchasing a chain instead.

While Patel went towards the locker area inside the shop to fetch the chain, the accused allegedly took advantage of the moment and stole a gold bangle weighing around 11.2g that had been kept near the weighing scale. A woman customer had dropped it off earlier for repair work.

Patel told police that he returned to find the bangle missing and the accused running out of the store. The jeweller allegedly chased him briefly, but the man managed to cross the road and flee towards Pallav Crossroads.

The accused was wearing an orange designer shirt, black jeans and a black cap at the time of the theft. Police are scanning CCTV footage from the area to identify him.

Ghatlodia police registered a theft case and launched a search for the accused.