Ahmedabad: A love affair, a daring jewellery heist and a betrayal in a hotel room — what began as an alleged plan to start a new life ended with a saleswoman and her boyfriend behind bars, with most of the stolen ornaments still missing.The Ahmedabad crime branch has arrested a saleswoman accused of stealing gold and diamond jewellery worth Rs 1.66 crore from a jewellery showroom in the Nikol area of the city. Police said the accused, Harshida Shetty, allegedly carried out the theft to elope and settle down with her married boyfriend.Investigators said the theft took place on May 11 at a jewellery showroom located in Gravity Shopping Mall near Anmol Circle in Nikol. The showroom owner, Darshan Shah, had employed Shetty around 11 months ago as a salesgirl.According to police, the theft came to light around 5 pm when a customer visited the showroom and an employee, Kanji Patel, noticed that a gold coin was missing from one of the trays. He informed Shah who informed staff that Shetty, who had left early, had not been granted permission to leave, despite her claiming she had personal work.Crime branch officials said CCTV footage later revealed that Shetty allegedly took advantage of the owner’s lunch break to execute the theft. Pretending to work normally, she systematically removed gold chains, rings, lockets and mangalsutras from display trays and cupboards. She allegedly concealed the valuables inside her blazer, uniform and bag before walking out of the showroom around 4.30 pm.Police said Shetty fled Ahmedabad with her boyfriend immediately after the theft. The duo reportedly travelled across several northern states, staying at hotels and hill stations while using stolen jewellery and cash to fund the trip.However, the relationship allegedly took a dramatic turn during one of their hotel stays. Officials said the boyfriend disappeared with most of the stolen jewellery while Shetty was taking a bath, leaving her stranded and cheated.Police said Shetty later approached investigators and disclosed details about her boyfriend after realising she had been duped. Based on technical surveillance and local intelligence, Ahmedabad police, with the assistance of local police teams, traced and detained the boyfriend.Crime branch officers said Shetty was eventually caught when she allegedly tried to sell part of the stolen ornaments to jewellers. Recovery of the stolen jewellery is still pending.
