City cops nab Guj woman who stole gems worth ₹2cr

Jaipur: Police have arrested a woman from Gujarat and recovered Rs 2 crore worth of precious gemstones she allegedly lifted from a trader while he was travelling by e-rickshaw through the crowded markets of the Walled City.Police said the woman was so skilled at stealing items from unsuspecting people on the streets that the trader did not realise he had been robbed until several hours after the crime. Her identity is being withheld due to the ongoing nature of the investigation.DCP (North) Karan Sharma said the incident occurred on Oct 15, when the trader boarded an e-rickshaw at Gopalji Ka Rasta and was headed toward Sanganeri Gate. With him was a bag containing 13 packets of gemstones, mostly emeralds, of various carats.Police said the woman boarded the same e-rickshaw and travelled with the trader for a while before quietly stealing the gemstones and getting off soon after.Manak Chowk SHO Rakesh Khyalia said the distraught trader could neither recall the e-rickshaw’s registration number nor provide a clear description of anyone he suspected of the theft when he approached police later that evening.A special team comprising personnel from Manak Chowk police station and the District Special Team pored over footage from more than 200 CCTV cameras to establish the sequence of events leading to and from the crime.They eventually zeroed in on a woman who was captured on camera travelling with the trader on the same e-rickshaw. Initial suspicions were confirmed when they observed that she frequently switched vehicles and modes of transport while moving through crowded market lanes after the crime – an apparent attempt to shake off anybody following her.Once she was visually identified, police activated their informants’ network before eventually tracking her down to a hideout in the city’s Saypura slums, from where she was arrested and the stolen gemstones recovered.In all, the stolen haul included two emeralds weighing 11.5 carats, four emerald beads weighing 144.6 carats and other assorted emeralds weighing a further 942.5 carats. The combined value of the stones is estimated at more than Rs 2 crore.According to investigators, the arrested woman is part of a group of professional thieves who go about posing as shoppers in busy market areas. Their modus operandi involves identifying people likely carrying valuables, following them while often travelling with them in the same public transport, and stealing the goods at the first available opportunity.Police said the woman is being questioned and suspect she may have been involved in other thefts across the city.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Jaipur | Silver Rate in Jaipur | Bank Holidays in Jaipur | Public Holidays in Jaipur | Jaipur AQI | Weather in Jaipur | Petrol Price in Jaipur | Diesel Price in Jaipur | CNG Price in Jaipur | LPG Price in JaipurStay updated with the latest Jaipur news. Download the TOI App.