A woman employee has been booked for allegedly stealing more than 1.2 kg of gold jewellery worth over ₹1.11 crore from a jewellery showroom in Ahmedabad’s Nikol area before fleeing during business hours, police said on Tuesday.
According to Nikol Police Station, the accused, identified as Harshidaben Rajendrabhai Hatti, had been working as a marketing executive and salesperson at Abhushan Gold and Silver showroom located in Gravity Shopping Mall near Anmol Circle for the past 11 months.
The complaint was filed by Darshan Jawaharlal Jain, owner of the showroom, who alleged that the theft took place between 4 pm and 4.30 pm on May 11. The showroom, situated near the Swaminarayan temple complex in Nikol, reportedly employs around 19 staff members, including salespersons, marketing executives, helpers and security personnel.
In the complaint, Jain stated that he had left the showroom for lunch around 2 pm while the manager and other employees remained on duty. When he returned around 5 pm, staff members informed him that some jewellery items appeared to be missing from the display section.
During preliminary checks, the showroom management allegedly discovered that Harshidaben had left the premises earlier in the evening citing an emergency without obtaining prior permission. Suspicion increased after attempts to contact her failed, as her mobile phone was found switched off.
Police said CCTV footage from the showroom allegedly showed the accused removing gold ornaments from cupboards located behind her workstation and hiding them inside her clothing pockets. She was later seen going to the upper-floor storeroom, collecting her bag and leaving the showroom.
Following an overnight stock verification, the management claimed that gold ornaments weighing 1,211.991 grams were missing. The stolen items allegedly included gold chains, rings, bangles, mangalsutras, pendants, a gold watch and several other ornaments made of both 18-carat and 22-carat gold.
Police said the total value of the stolen jewellery was estimated at around ₹1.11 crore, although inventory calculations mentioned in the FIR reportedly valued the loss at more than ₹1.5 crore.
Based on the complaint, Nikol police registered a case of theft and criminal breach of trust and launched an investigation. Officials said efforts are underway to trace the accused, who remains absconding.