DEHRADUN: A high-profile jewellery theft in Hyderabad, involving ornaments and valuables worth nearly Rs 5 crore, was cracked nearly 1,700 km away near the Uttar Pradesh-Uttarakhand border after a coordinated operation by Telangana, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh police.
Three Nepali nationals, including a couple and another woman, were detained late on Monday night from the Bilaspur area of Rampur district in Uttar Pradesh. The accused were identified as Kamal Shashi, his wife Vimal Shahi, and Kalpana. Police recovered gold, diamonds and other valuables allegedly stolen from the residence of a prominent businessman in Hyderabad.
The case began after a major theft was reported from a villa in Gachibowli, Hyderabad. According to police sources, gold jewellery, diamonds and silver articles were allegedly stolen from the businessman’s residence at Hill Ridge Villa. Investigators suspected the involvement of a Nepali couple who had been employed at the house about a month ago.
Police said the theft was committed when the businessman and his family had travelled to Mumbai for a day. After returning on June 7, they noticed a small gold chain adorning an idol was missing and informed police.
However, it was only on June 8, when their son opened the locker, that they discovered a large quantity of jewellery and valuables missing. The couple allegedly confessed to opening the locker with a key found nearby, removing the valuables, locking it again and taking the key with them.
Following the complaint, Cyberabad police formed six teams and dispatched them to Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Uttarakhand. Telangana Police tracked the suspected movement of the accused and shared their photographs and details with local police. Cyberabad Police Commissioner Dr M Ramesh alerted Udham Singh Nagar SSP Ajay Ganpati around midnight on June 8, informing him that the suspects were trying to flee to Nepal through Uttarakhand.
Acting on the input, SSP Ganpati mobilised the Special Operations Group and district police teams. Uttar Pradesh Police were also alerted and a joint operation was launched near the Rudrapur-Bilaspur border. During intensive checks, a Delhi-bound roadways bus was intercepted near Narayan Hospital on the Bilaspur-Rampur road. Based on details provided by Telangana Police, the three suspects were identified and detained.
The accused are being questioned and will be brought to Hyderabad on transit warrants. Investigators are probing whether others were involved in the theft.