Ludhiana: A sewing machine wholesaler returned from a brief family vacation to find his home systematically plundered of cash and gold by a trusted shop employee who used a spare key to bypass security.Vansh Mehta and his family returned to their Shivpuri home after a two-day trip, only to discover ₹3.5 lakh in cash and a cache of gold jewellery missing from his grandmother’s wardrobe.The investigating officer, Hardeep Singh, said detectives had immediately suspected an inside job because neither the main gates nor the family wardrobe had displayed any signs of forced entry.“The thief had clearly unlocked the doors and the wardrobe using real keys,” the officer said. “Mehta then informed us that he kept a spare set of house keys at his wholesale shop.”Suspicion quickly fell on the staff, leading to the arrest of Sahib Raja, who had worked closely with Mehta for more than a year and frequently visited the family home. Police allege Raja knew exactly where the spare keys were hidden in the shop.He reportedly swiped them while the family was away, teamed up with his childhood friend, Vishal Morya, and entered the house unchallenged. While both suspects are now in custody, police are still searching for the stolen cash and gold.The two men have been charged with theft by a servant and acting with common intention under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
