In a significant development, Rajkot police have successfully apprehended a 28-year-old man accused of committing a major theft of silver from his employer's residence. The arrest brings closure to a case involving precious metal valued at nearly Rs 18 lakh.
Employee Accused of Major Silver Heist
The accused has been identified as Vijay Nagani. He was taken into custody by a team from the Local Crime Branch (Zone 1) in connection with a theft reported on December 17. The complainant, Rahul Sawant (32), a businessman dealing in silver, filed a formal complaint at the B Division police station two days after the incident occurred.
Sawant informed the authorities that he has been in the silver jewellery business for the past three years. His operation involved procuring raw silver from various firms and crafting ornaments at his home based on specific customer orders. Nagani had been working with him for approximately one and a half months prior to the theft.
The Details of the Crime and Investigation
According to the official complaint, on December 17, Vijay Nagani allegedly fled from Sawant's residence near Satellite Chowk on Morbi Road with a substantial quantity of silver. The stolen material weighed 16,107 grams. Following the complaint, a case was registered under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), prompting an immediate search operation.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 1) Hetal Patel provided insights into the investigative process. Teams from the B Division police and the Local Crime Branch coordinated their efforts. "During the investigation, we received inputs that the suspect was frequently seen in the Bhagwati Para area. Acting on the tip-off, the crime branch team traced him near the banks of the Aji river and took him into custody," stated Patel.
Recovery and Criminal History Revealed
During subsequent interrogation, Nagani reportedly confessed to committing the theft. The police managed to recover 15,019 grams of silver from his possession. The value of the recovered silver is estimated to be around Rs 15.47 lakh.
Preliminary investigations uncovered a troubling pattern in Nagani's behaviour. Officials revealed that the accused has a prior criminal record, with earlier theft cases already registered against him at the Malaviya Nagar Police Station and the B Division police station. The modus operandi appeared consistent: Nagani would secure employment to gain the trust of his employers before executing thefts and absconding. Further investigation into the case is currently underway.
