'Vishal Lalani, 31, was arrested from the blast site outside the Pancharatna building. A diamond worth Rs10,000 was recovered from him,' said senior police inspector.
The DB Marg police on Friday arrested an employee working with a diamond merchant at Pancharatna Building, Opera House for allegedly stealing diamonds from the blast site.
“Vishal Lalani, 31, was arrested from the blast site outside the Pancharatna building. A diamond worth Rs10,000 was recovered from him,” said senior police inspector Ajit Surve of DB Marg police station. However, Lalani was released on cash bail of Rs10,000 by a local court on Saturday.
The investigation revealed that Lalani, claiming to be a diamond merchant, approached the forensic team at the blast site on Friday, stating that his diamonds went missing soon after the blast. After being allowed to look around, Lalani pocketed a diamond he found amidst the debris piled up on one side of the road.
Police personnel who cordoned off the area, suspected foul play and nabbed Lalani red-handed with the stolen diamond. During interrogation, the culprit revealed that he was an employee at a diamond trading company at Opera House. Taking advantage of the situation, he wanted to pocket some diamonds from the blast site, the police officer added.
A few hours after the blast on Wednesday, members of the Mumbai Diamond Merchant Association covered the entire blast site with plastic sheets to ensure that the diamonds which were scattered or went missing at the time of the blast were protected from antisocial elements and the rain.
The police recovered 60 diamonds of varied quality and grades at the blast site which have been accounted and taken into police custody.
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