Jeweller Fakes Shop Break-In, Held With Rs 65.95-Lakh Valuables
Police questioned Vernekar, during which the investigation allegedly revealed that he himself had removed the valuables and cash from his jewellery shop.
Belagavi: What initially appeared to be an incident of burglary at a jewellery shop in Belagavi City turned out to be an alleged attempt by the shop owner himself to stage the theft, with city police arresting him and recovering cash, gold and silver ornaments.
On July 17 Krishnanand Vishwanath Vernekar, a resident of Tilakwadi, approached the Khadebazar police claiming that burglars had broken into his jewellery shop, at Ramdev Galli on the previous night. He alleged that the burglars had forced open the shop and escaped with cash, gold and silver ornaments.
Based on the complaint, the Khadebazar police registered a case under Sections 331(4) and 305(A) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and launched an investigation.
However, during the investigation, investigators noticed discrepancies that raised suspicion about the complainant's version of events.
Police questioned Vernekar, during which the investigation allegedly revealed that he himself had removed the valuables and cash from his jewellery shop. He is said to have loaded them into the storage compartment of his red Honda Activa scooter and taken them away before lodging the false theft complaint.
Police recovered 519.8 grams of gold ornaments valued at Rs 62.60 lakh, 31 grams of silver ornaments worth Rs 6,000, cash of Rs 2.83 lakh, and the scooter valued at Rs 45,000. The total value of the recovered property is estimated at Rs 65.95 lakh.
The case was cracked by a team led by Khadebazar Police Inspector MK Dhamannavar and PSI SR Muttatti, with assistance from station staff, the fingerprint bureau, the technical wing and the Scene of Crime (SOCO) team. Police Commissioner Bhushan Gulabrao Borase has commended the investigating team for swiftly unravelling the case.
