Accused Had Built Trust by Purchasing Ornaments Worth Rs 5,700 a Day Earlier at Vishwanath Jewellers
Key Points:
- Conman steals jewellery worth Rs 23-24 lakh from Vishwanath Jewellers in Ulidih area
- Accused had visited the shop a day earlier and bought jewellery to gain shopkeeper’s trust
- Police scanning CCTV footage; traders in the area gripped by fear after the incident
JAMSHEDPUR – A clever conman walked into a jewellery shop in broad daylight in Jamshedpur on Tuesday morning and made off with ornaments worth an estimated Rs 23 to 24 lakh. The incident took place at Vishwanath Jewellers, located near Hari Mandir on Shankosai Road Number 1, under the Ulidih outpost area.
The accused arrived at the shop posing as a customer at around 11 AM. Abhijit, the son of shopowner Vishwanath Datta, was present at the time and began showing him ornaments.
The accused shrewdly selected a piece of jewellery. He paid Rs 1,000 as an advance and told the shopkeeper he would return in the evening to collect it. He then left the premises.
However, a short while later Abhijit grew suspicious and checked the display box. The valuable ornament was missing.
A review of the CCTV footage made it clear that the accused had used the distraction of the advance payment to pocket the jewellery and slip away undetected.
In a more telling detail, the accused had visited the same jewellery shop the previous day as well. He had purchased ornaments worth Rs 5,700 on that visit, deliberately building the shopkeeper’s confidence before executing the theft.
The total value of the stolen jewellery is estimated to be between Rs 23 and Rs 24 lakh, according to victim Vishwanath Datta.
Police reached the spot as soon as the complaint was lodged. Officers are now using CCTV footage to identify and trace the accused. Efforts to arrest him have been intensified.
The incident has sent a wave of fear through local traders in the Jamshedpur area. Shopkeepers in the vicinity have expressed concern over the rising trend of such targeted thefts against jewellery establishments.
Daylight thefts and conmen targeting jewellers have been a recurring problem in the city. Jewellery thefts worth lakhs have been reported from several parts of Jamshedpur in recent months.
