Badaun: Police in Uttar Pradesh’s Badaun have solved within 24 hours a case involving the theft of more than ₹1 crore in cash and jewellery from the car of a Meerut-based jeweller.
The investigation revealed that the alleged theft was not carried out by an outside gang but was allegedly planned by the businessman’s own driver in collaboration with his relative. Police have arrested both accused and recovered ₹79 lakh in cash along with the stolen jewellery.
Sheikh Dilawar Hussain, a resident of Hooghly in West Bengal, runs a jewellery business in Meerut. On September 10, his driver Arif Ansari and a craftsman working at his showroom, Sarfaraz, travelled to Badaun in the car. They had come to supply jewellery to local jewellers and collect outstanding payments and dues. During the day, they received ₹85 lakh in cash from different traders, while jewellery worth more than ₹21 lakh that remained with them was also kept in a bag inside the car.
According to police, at around 1:40 pm, before returning to Meerut, driver Arif stopped the car near Nawada police outpost in the Civil Lines police station area, in front of Das Degree College. He allegedly deliberately left the car unlocked and went to eat biryani with craftsman Sarfaraz. Meanwhile, Arif’s relative Wasim had allegedly followed their car from Meerut in his own vehicle.
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Police suspect that Arif and Wasim used the opportunity to execute their plan. While the two went to eat, Wasim allegedly took away the bag containing the cash and jewellery from the car. To make the incident appear to be an ordinary theft, he allegedly broke the car window from inside, creating the impression that an unidentified person had broken into the vehicle and stolen the bag.
When Sarfaraz returned after eating, he found that the bag was missing and immediately informed jeweller Sheikh Dilawar Hussain. The matter was subsequently reported to police. Although the incident initially appeared to be a major theft, examination of CCTV footage from the area soon gave investigators a different lead.
CCTV cameras installed around the Nawada police outpost captured Wasim and his vehicle in the area. Footage from a toll plaza in the Vankota area on the Ganga Expressway also showed Wasim’s car travelling directly behind the jeweller’s vehicle. Another camera reportedly captured a suspicious person breaking the car window and taking away the bag. After the alleged theft, Wasim did not immediately flee the area and instead remained around the Nawada outpost-Bisauli route for nearly 10 minutes.
Police then examined the call detail records of Arif and Wasim. The records showed several calls between the two from the morning of September 10 until the afternoon. The CCTV footage and call records strengthened the suspicion surrounding the two men. Wasim was taken into custody first, followed by Arif, and both were questioned separately.
During questioning, the two allegedly disclosed details of the entire conspiracy. According to police, they had planned the theft around five days earlier. Arif allegedly knew in advance that a large amount of cash and jewellery would be kept in the car during the Badaun business visit on September 10. The information was allegedly used to plan the theft and determine the timing and location of the operation.
Police arrested both accused and produced them before a court, which sent them to judicial custody. The recovered ₹79 lakh in cash and jewellery have been taken into police possession. Investigators are also examining whether any part of the remaining stolen cash or jewellery was hidden, spent or transferred elsewhere. The investigation is continuing to establish the full financial trail and determine whether any other person was involved in the alleged conspiracy.
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