Brother behind Rs 1.33cr theft at jeweller’s shop

MUMBAI: Nearly a month after a jewellery shop in Lower Parel was found burgled, the police claim that the crime had been conspired by the shop owner’s brother. The accused, Jayant Gujar, was arrested on Saturday.
On September 11, Vijay Gujar found his jewellery shop broken into and silver and gold ornaments worth Rs 1.33 crore missing. According to the police, Vijay’s brother, Jayant, who owns a jewellery shop, located opposite the complainant’s store, hired robbers to commit the burglary.
Jayant was arrested after seven other accused, who are in police custody, disclosed his name. Joint commissioner of police (crime) Himanshu Roy said, “We are interrogating Jayant to find out the motive.” The crime branch suspect property dispute behind the burglary.
The N M Joshi Marg police had registered Gujar’s case and the crime branch was conducting a parallel probe. Acting on a tip-off, senior police inspector Nandkumar Gopale recently arrested three persons from Kumbharwada in Dharavi. The accused—Sanjay Roy, Babu Iyyer and Yasin Madar Shaikh confessed to the crime. The three disclosed to the police the involvement of Salim Shaikh, Roshan Sagir Shaikh and Mukesh Hushnala and Mangesh alias Munna Gowda in the burglary.
According to the police, Gowda had masterminded the burglary. From Gowda’s cellphone records, the police found that he had made several calls to Jayant on the day of the crime and over the next few days. In 2006, Gowda and Jayant were arrested by the Nashik police in a jewellery theft case.