Pickpocket steals gold biscuits worth Rs 45L meant for temple donation, nabbed

Surat: The Surat railway police and Railway Local Crime Branch (LCB) in a joint operation solved a Rs 45 lakh gold theft case within hours and arrested a habitual offender accused of stealing three gold biscuits meant for a Jain temple corridor project in the city.

Police said the accused, identified as Karan Makwana (26), allegedly stole the gold biscuits from the pocket of a 77-year-old man at Surat railway station on Saturday. The stolen gold was later recovered before it could be sold.

According to the complaint, Surat resident Kantilal Mehta (77) had travelled to his native village Dhanali in Banaskantha district along with family members to attend a religious event during the visit of a Jain monk. During the gathering, an unidentified donor had placed three gold biscuits worth around Rs 45 lakh in the donation box of the local Jain temple.

Mehta was entrusted with the responsibility of bringing the gold to Surat for the proposed "Gopipura Urja Bhumi" Jain temple corridor project.

Police said Mehta arrived at Surat railway station on the morning of May 9 by the Bhuj-Bandra Express. While taking a lift to Platform No. 1, Makwana allegedly entered the crowded lift with him and used a blade to make a slit in Mehta's pant pocket and stole the gold biscuits.

A few minutes later, Mehta discovered that his pocket had been slit. He immediately approached the Surat railway police and lodged a complaint.

Following the complaint, teams led by Railway LCB inspector T V Patel and Government Railway Police (GRP) inspector J B Mithapara launched a coordinated investigation. Police scanned footage from nearly 200 CCTV cameras installed at the railway station and across the city to trace the suspect.

During the investigation, police identified a suspicious man leaving the station from platform No. 4 before boarding an autorickshaw, who informed them where he had dropped the suspect.

Based on the lead, police intensified surveillance in the locality and eventually detained Makwana. During interrogation, he allegedly confessed to the theft and revealed that he had handed over the gold biscuits to a minor relative.

Police said the minor girl later informed investigators that she had passed on the gold to her grandmother. The police subsequently traced the woman and recovered all three gold biscuits intact.

Investigators said Makwana was a habitual offender involved in railway thefts and was previously booked in three similar cases by railway police.