DEHRADUN: A social media reel helped the Dehradun police crack a year-old jewellery theft after the complainant allegedly spotted her former domestic help wearing the same diamond and gold ornaments that had gone missing from her home.
Police said the case took a decisive turn when Nitisha Vats, a resident of Sikka Kimaya Green near Doon IT Park, saw the accused woman's WhatsApp status and Instagram reel on June 29.
According to Vats, the jewellery disappeared about a year ago when she was living at Doon Republic Apartments in Bhagirathi Puram, Jakhan. The missing items included diamond-studded rings, a gold chain and a diamond pendant worth around Rs 10 lakh.
"At that time, I suspected the maid, but she denied any involvement and even accompanied me to the police station to file a complaint. Her conduct made me believe that someone else may have taken the ornaments," Vats told police.
She said she continued searching for the jewellery at home but found no trace. The breakthrough came unexpectedly when she saw her former domestic help, Vimla Devi, wearing what appeared to be the stolen ornaments in her social media posts.
"After seeing the status and reel, I was convinced that the jewellery had been stolen by her," the complainant stated.
Acting on the complaint lodged at the Jakhan police outpost, Rajpur police registered a case and began an investigation. Senior Superintendent of Police Pramendra Dobhal directed that a special team be formed, considering the value of the stolen property and the unusual social media lead.
During the investigation, police received a tip-off and arrested Vimla Devi from Johri Road on Friday. She is a native of Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh and was living in Bapu Nagar, Jakhan.
"On her disclosure, stolen jewellery worth nearly Rs 10 lakh was recovered," a police officer said.
The recovered items included a diamond necklace, a gold locket, two gold rings, a gold pendant and a mobile phone.
During questioning, Vimla allegedly admitted that she had worked as a domestic help at Vats' residence and had seen expensive jewellery kept in a locker on several occasions. Police said she told investigators that greed prompted her to steal the ornaments when she got an opportunity.
The accused also allegedly admitted that after the theft, she tried to mislead her employer by suggesting the jewellery may have been misplaced elsewhere in the house.
Police said Vimla had attempted to sell the jewellery several times but failed because the high-value diamond ornaments were difficult to dispose of without attracting suspicion.
The accused was produced before a court after her arrest. Police said further investigation is underway to determine whether anyone else helped her conceal or attempt to sell the stolen jewellery.
