Jeweller held for purchasing stolen goods

NAGPUR: Having already netted a mother-son duo recently for their alleged involvement in a theft case, the city police on Thursday morning arrested a jeweller from his Central Avenue residence charging him with purchasing the stolen goods.
Police learnt about Younusbhai Azizbhai Opai's involvement after Sonu Shaikh and his mother Saidulnissa confessed.Saidulnissa had apparently sold the stolen goods for Rs 3,000 and bought a mangalsutra with it.
Twenty-year-old Sonu was picked up by the Yashodhara Nagar police in the first week of March for stealing gold and silver, and cash Rs 16,000 from the residence of Phiranta Verma at Garib Nawaz Nagar on January 26 earlier this year. Last year too he was arrested in another case.
Cops said Sonu was a hard-core thief who would target houses by the night. At Verma's residence too, Sonu had sneaked in when the family members were asleep and escaped with a portable vault. Verma, a hawker, had inherited the jewellery from his forefathers.
After interrogating Sonu, the cops learnt that Saidulnissa had disposed of the stolen jewellery. She too was then arrested.
The cops questioned Opai who owns a shop at Tonga Stand in Itwari. He tried to get an anticipatory bail and police said that Opai also wanted to return the stolen goods. The cops finally arrested him on Thursday morning at 7.
It's learnt that Opai, owned a shop at Tonga Stand at Itwari, comes from a good family background. A relative of Opai was a legal adviser with the police department. Some of his family members are also in politics.
The Yashodhara Nagar police has so far recovered nearly 1.5kg silver from Opai and the mangalsutra from Saidulnissa. Further investigations are on in the case.