Ahmedabad singer Mukhtar Shah's office burgled of jewellery, cash and foreign currency

A noted singer and performing artist from Ahmedabad has lodged a police complaint after unidentified burglars allegedly broke into his office in Ellisbridge and stole gold jewellery, cash, foreign currency and surveillance equipment worth nearly ₹1.9 lakh.

According to Ellisbridge police, the burglary took place at an office owned by Mukhtar Alam Suleman Shah, 63, popularly known as Mukhtar Shah, located at Maharana Pratap Centre in the Ellisbridge area of the city.

Shah, who resides in Juhapura and has been associated with singing and stage performances for several decades, stated in his complaint that he had been operating the office for nearly 18 years and regularly used the premises for professional work and programme management activities.

Shah had reached the office on May 2 and remained there until evening before the premises were locked by staff members around 7 pm. The office reportedly remained closed the following day due to Sunday.

The incident came to light on the morning of May 4 when Shah allegedly received a voice message in a building association WhatsApp group informing members that locks of several offices in the commercial complex had been broken.

Police said Shah immediately rushed to his office and discovered that the external locks and door fittings had been damaged. Upon entering the premises, he allegedly found that the inner glass door had also been broken open and all seven drawers inside the office had been forcibly opened.

According to the complaint, the burglars stole two gold chains weighing approximately one tola each, collectively valued around ₹80,000, along with two to three gold rings estimated to be worth ₹50,000.

The complainant further stated that ₹30,000 in Indian currency notes had also been stolen from the office.

Shah additionally informed police that he had a hobby of collecting foreign currency notes from countries he visited during overseas performances and tours. According to the complaint, foreign currency including dollars, pounds and euros worth ₹30,000 in Indian currency value was also stolen during the burglary.

Police said the accused also allegedly removed the hard disk from the office DVR system connected to four CCTV cameras installed on the premises, apparently in an attempt to destroy surveillance evidence.

Investigators suspect that the burglars targeted the office after identifying that valuables were stored inside the drawers and may have deliberately stolen the DVR hard disk to avoid identification.

A case of house-breaking and theft has been registered against unidentified persons, and the investigation has been started by Ellisbridge police.

Police officials said CCTV footage from surrounding buildings and nearby roads was being examined to identify the suspects and trace their movements before and after the incident.