The city police recovered 2.3 kg of gold from the employee of a jewellery store in Purasawalkam and displayed the valuables at the City Police Commissioner’s office on Tuesday.
The employee, Baskar alias Sajo (49), a resident of Nammalwarpet, had reportedly stolen 3.3 kg of gold over a period of two years. The loss came to light during an inventory audit at the store, Kerala Jeweller, located on Purasawalkam High Road, on April 22. The store owner, Sibi Joseph, suspected that his employee had escaped with 3.3 kg of gold jewels from his shop.
Baskar was picked up and he later confessed to the crime to spend on his dancer girlfriend. He had gifted her a Honda Civic car, a Honda Activa scooter and a Yamaha Fazer motorbike after his intimacy with her grew. He had also gifted her gold jewellery weighing 340 grams.
All these properties were recovered and he was remanded to judicial custody. Subsequently, the accused was granted police custody and the other jewels that he had either sold off or pledged with different firms were recovered by the police.
While having him in custody, the cops were able to recover 2.5 kg of gold jewels before he was remanded back to judicial custody on Monday night.
Police said that the accused got acquainted to the dancer after watching one of her dance shows in a Star Hotel in the city. As the relationship advanced, the accused spent on her lavishly.
Though the Jeweller had CCTVs installed in the shop, Baskar knew how to whisk the jewels away one by one, which he had been doing for the past two years. Baskar, who was employed by the Jeweller for the past nine years, won the confidence of the owner and was the in-charge of bangles section.
He was even entrusted with the work of screening other employees when they left home after work every day. However, nobody in the shop would frisk him. Joint Commissioner of Police (West) K Shankar told reporters that the dancer would not be booked as she was unaware of Baskar’s acts.
“She believed that Baskar was a bigwig since he could afford to visit her shows frequently and could spend much on her. We have recovered the gifts given to her by Baskar,” he said.