Hyderabad diamond heist resolved in Mumbai with arrest of two

Mumbai, May 18 (UNI) A Rs 10-crore diamond jewellery heist at Panjagutta area in Hyderabad three days ago was resolved here today.

Crime Branch sleuths here said they had arrested two burglars who had gained entry into the Alukkas Jewellery shop at Hyderabad on the night of May 15 after cutting open the shutter of the shop by using metal sheet cutters and had made away with jewellery, and diamonds. The burglary was discovered after owners opened the shop the next morning.

They were remanded to police custody till May 30.

The city police today said they have recovered about 70 per cent of the valuables from Vinod Rambali Singh and Ajay Jawahar Singh who were arrested from a Borivli hostel here last night. But their third accomplice managed to escape.

The arrested accused were also wanted in another jewellary heist worth Rs 1.5 lakh last year at a shop in Dahisar, the city suburb located next to Borivli, the case investigating officer Ravindra Patil said here today.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate S Y Sishode, who sent them to police custody in the Hyderabad case, remanded them to judicial custody in the Dahisar case, also till May 30.

The duo were booked in two separate cases.

Meanwhile, Hyderabad police has left for Mumbai to take custody of the accused. They, however, may not get it till May 30 as the city police have yet to recover the Dahisar loot from them.

In Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh Home Minister K Jana Reddy announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh each to Mumbai and Hyderabad police for arresting the thieves.

Talking to newspersons, Mr Reddy said two persons identified as Vinod Ramboli Singh of Uttar Pradesh and Ajay Jawar Singh, a diamond dealer were arrested by Mumbai police in this connection and interrogation was on.

He said they were hopeful of nabbing the third accused Srikant Singh, who is absconding and recover the entire booty soon.

The Home Minister said the main accused Vinod, involved in 18 cases of dacoities and robberies in Mumbai at one stage was kept out from Mumbai under the city police act. He was released from a Mumbai jail on March 25 this year.

Mr Reddy said the police suspected an alliance between Vinod and Srikanth in the robbery and Ajay was a buyer of stolen items.

He lauded the effective coordination between the Hyderabad and Mumbai police in nabbing the accused.

The state and city police were geared up to curb the activities of organised criminals, faction groups, terrorist and extremists by increasing the number of beats and equipment.

UNI Team RP BD2025