Jeweller robs friend of gold

To share expensive rental rates of shops at Zaveri Bazar, jewellers Ashok Bokadia and Babulal Shah shared the space in a rented shop. But this smart deal proved costly for Shah after Bokadia fled with ornaments worth Rs69 lakh when he (Shah) was away on a holiday. He was later arrested by the police.

The city crime branch officers recently arrested Bokadia, alias Jain, 48, a resident of Bhayandar for the theft.

According to the police, Bokadia and his Ghatkopar-based friend Shah, 53, shared a same shop in Khara Kuwa Lane of Zaveri Bazaar. Shah dealt in gold jewellery, and Bokadia in imitation jewellery. Both had their respective safes in the same shop.

“On September 2, Shah went on a holiday to Kolhapur, Bihar and Rajasthan. When he returned on October 4, he found his locker empty and broken. Gold ornaments worth Rs69.37 lakh were missing from the safe,” said an officer from the LT Marg police station.

He added that, when all efforts to trace Bokadia failed, Shah lodged a complaint with the LT Marg police station.

“The Ghatkopar unit of the city crime branch arrested Bokadia and handed him over to the local police. We are yet to recover the stolen property,” said the officer.