₹43.11 Lakh Diamond Theft Solved Within Hours, Three Arrested At Bavla Railway Station

A diamond theft worth ₹43.11 lakh was cracked within hours after Botad and Ahmedabad Rural police worked together to track three suspects onto a train and intercept them at Bavla railway station, recovering the entire stolen haul of 1,437 carats.

The case came to light on August 16 after diamonds were allegedly stolen from an office at Neelam Diamond Market in Botad. Police launched an investigation and began tracing the suspects using CCTV footage and technical intelligence.

CCTV trail leads police to railway station

Investigators reviewing footage spotted a woman and two men carrying luggage and followed their movements from the area of the diamond market to an auto-rickshaw and then to Botad railway station.

Further footage showed the trio boarding a local train heading towards Ahmedabad.

Once officers established that the suspects were travelling along the Dholka-Bavla route, Botad Superintendent of Police Dharmendra Sharma contacted Ahmedabad Rural SP Om Prakash Jat for assistance.

Botad Police then shared photographs and videos of the suspects, along with details of their clothing, physical features, luggage and the likely train compartment, with Ahmedabad Rural’s Local Crime Branch and Bavla Police.

Suspects intercepted at Bavla

Ahmedabad Rural LCB Inspector R N Karamatia and Bavla Police Station Inspector J L Chauhan formed teams and coordinated with the Railway Protection Force (RPF) to intercept the suspects.

The train arrived at Bavla at around 8.30 pm. Police discreetly stopped the three suspects and searched their luggage following legal procedures.

The search led to the recovery of approximately 1,437 carats of finished diamonds, which police said accounted for 100 per cent of the stolen property valued at ₹43.11 lakh.

The three suspects — a woman and two men — were taken into custody.

Police highlight rapid inter-district coordination

Officials described the operation as an example of quick coordination between police units in different districts.

Instead of simply following the suspects after the theft, investigators reconstructed their route using CCTV footage, tracking their movements from the crime scene to the railway station and then sharing the information with police along the expected train route.

Details including the suspects’ photographs, clothing, physical descriptions and luggage helped the teams identify them at Bavla without causing panic among other passengers.

The recovered diamonds have been seized and further investigation is underway to establish the individual roles of the three accused and determine whether anyone else was involved in the theft.