Vadodara niece steals uncle’s jewellery, funds trips with live-in partner: Police

The mystery of Rs 5.15 lakh worth of gold and silver jewellery vanishing from a Vadodara home locker took an unexpected turn when city police allegedly traced the theft back to the family itself– a 21-year-old niece who, police said, stole the valuables, pawned them for Rs 3.50 lakh and headed out on pleasure trips with her "live-in partner".

Police on Thursday said that the accused, Shreya Singh allegedly planned the theft from her uncle's house with her 32-year-old partner, Deepak Vasava. After allegedly obtaining money by pledging the jewellery with a local finance company, the couple travelled to Mount Abu and Pavagadh and spent the proceeds on leisure and personal expenses, police said.

"They took three pairs of earrings, rings, and gold chains. The couple then pledged the stolen jewellery with a finance company and obtained Rs 3.50 lakh against the ornaments. They used the money to travel and other expenditures…" he said.

Lathiya added that by the time the police tracked them down, the amount received against the pledged jewellery had allegedly been spent. Officials of the Gorwa police traced and arrested the two accused with the help of technical surveillance and human intelligence.

Police added that Singh, originally from Uttar Pradesh had been in an alleged relationship with Vasava for the past six months. Police said they have recovered the stolen gold and silver jewellery valued at Rs 5.15 lakh.

The two accused have been remanded to two days in police custody. Aditi Raja is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, stationed in Vadodara, Gujarat, with over 20 years in the field. She has been reporting from the region of Central Gujarat and Narmada district for this newspaper since 2013, which establishes her as a highly Authoritative and Trustworthy source on regional politics, administration, and critical socio-economic and environmental issues.

Expertise: Core Authority & Specialization: Her reporting is characterized by a comprehensive grasp of the complex factors shaping Central Gujarat, which comprises a vast tribal population, including: Politics and Administration: In-depth analysis of dynamics within factions of political parties and how it affects the affairs in the region, visits of national leaders making prominent statements, and government policy decisions impacting the population on ground.

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