A woman tenant has been arrested for allegedly stealing 15 tolas of gold jewellery valued at Rs 17.77 lakh from her landlady's residence in Katargam, Surat. The theft occurred while the homeowner's family was away on an outing, police confirmed on Tuesday.
Details of the Incident
The complainant, Shilpa Padmani, 42, works as a teacher at a private school, while her husband runs a textile business in the Sachin GIDC industrial estate. The couple resides in a house located in Kanteshwar Society, where they rented out the first floor to the accused, Usha Tank, 38, and the second floor to another family.
Padmani informed the police that she had accumulated approximately 15 tolas of gold over the years from her personal savings and her husband's business income. The jewellery was stored securely in a cupboard inside their home. She last saw the ornaments on March 28 while retrieving cash from the cupboard. The family then left for a farmhouse outing on the evening of March 30 and returned the following night. Upon their return, the house lock was found intact, and there were no immediate signs of a break-in or theft.
Discovery of the Theft
The crime came to light on April 21, when Padmani opened the cupboard to take out the jewellery for a relative's engagement ceremony. Despite a thorough search, the gold was missing. The family approached the Katargam police the same day, leading to the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) for theft and criminal trespassing.
Investigation and Arrest
During the investigation, police grew suspicious of Tank, who had been living in the rented first-floor apartment for the past three months. When called in for questioning, officers discovered that her call records from March 30 to 31 had been deleted from her phone, further raising suspicions.
Under interrogation, Tank allegedly confessed to the theft, police said. She told investigators that she entered the house after finding one of the rooms unlocked and took the jewellery, claiming she intended to gift it to her daughter-in-law as a wedding present.
