Ghaziabad police have arrested three people, including the alleged mastermind, in a ₹4.55 crore jewellery theft from a Tanishq showroom in the RDC area. Investigators said the main accused, Nitin Verma, deliberately joined the showroom as an employee to study its security arrangements before carrying out the theft with an associate. Jewellery worth about ₹3.16 crore and ₹6.5 lakh in cash have been recovered so far.
The theft was reported on June 12 and initially appeared to have been executed with professional planning. Police said technical surveillance, CCTV analysis and call tracing helped uncover the conspiracy and identify those involved.
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Mastermind Joined Showroom to Plan Theft
According to investigators, Nitin Verma had prior experience in the jewellery trade and understood gold valuation, ornaments and showroom systems. Police allege that he joined the Tanishq showroom as a salesman on May 5 with the intention of carrying out the theft.
Over the following weeks, he reportedly studied employee routines, security arrangements and storage practices inside the showroom. Investigators said the plan was prepared carefully to avoid suspicion and gain access to the premises.
On the night of June 11, Nitin allegedly hosted a party for colleagues under the pretext of celebrating his upcoming marriage. During the gathering, he allegedly managed to obtain the showroom keys from the cashier.
Loot Packed in 25 Minutes
Police said that on the morning of June 12, Nitin reached near the showroom with his associate Chitranjan alias Chintu. While one accused kept watch outside, the other entered the premises and collected valuable jewellery.
Within about 25 minutes, nearly three kilograms of gold ornaments were allegedly packed into bags before the accused fled. Investigators later found that efforts were made to conceal and distribute the stolen jewellery.
A portion of the jewellery was allegedly handed over to Nitin’s father, Sanjay Verma. Police said some of the stolen ornaments were later stored at a relative’s residence to avoid detection. Sanjay Verma and Nitin’s girlfriend Kajal have also been arrested.
Phone Call Exposes Location
The police breakthrough came when Nitin allegedly tried to contact his girlfriend while on the run. According to investigators, he used the mobile phone of a passerby, believing it would help him avoid detection.
Police traced the communication through technical surveillance and identified his location. Acting on the lead, a police team conducted an operation in the Rishikesh area and arrested Nitin along with Kajal.
The second accused, Chitranjan, allegedly escaped with his companion after receiving information about police movement. Police teams are continuing raids to trace the absconding accused. Investigators are also examining whether any pre-arranged network was in place to dispose of the stolen jewellery and convert it into cash.
