Domestic helpers flee with SUV, luxury watches, jewellery worth ₹10 lakh from Sanand bungalow

In a case of breach of trust and theft, a Mumbai-based couple residing in a rented bungalow at the Kalhar Club residential complex in Sanand has alleged that two domestic helpers they had recently hired fled with their SUV, luxury watches and gold ornaments worth nearly ₹10 lakh.

Esther Sharma (38) in her complaint at Sanand Police Station, stated that the accused identified as Meet Bahadur Damai and Devraj Bhudrai Bhagirath Bhadrarai, both hailing from Nepal had been employed as live-in servants at their bungalow around eight days ago. The couple, who had recently moved from Mumbai, had hired the two through a manpower agency named S K Manpower Service, run by a person identified as S P Thapa.

Esther stated that she and her husband Kamal Sharma, who works as a manager with a paper company near Iyava village, were living at Bungalow No. 225, Kalhar Club, Sanand, for the past three to four months. About a fortnight ago, they decided to employ domestic help for cooking and household chores and contacted the agency through an online search. After receiving the servants’ photographs and ID proofs via WhatsApp, they finalised their hiring for a monthly salary of ₹15,000 each and paid a commission of ₹13,000 to the agent through a digital transaction to one Pushpa Khatri.

The complainant stated that the two men were allotted separate rooms within the bungalow premises and appeared to carry out their work as usual. However, on the morning of November 4, around 8.30 am, Esther discovered that their Mahindra XUV500 bearing MH registration number was missing from the parking area. When she and her husband checked the servants’ quarters, they found both men and their belongings missing.

Subsequent verification of the CCTV footage at the main gate of the Kalhar Club revealed that at 2.45 am the same night, the two accused were seen driving away in the family’s SUV. Upon inspecting their rooms, the complainant found them ransacked, and several valuables missing.

Among the stolen items, police said, were three luxury wristwatches – a Rolex, an Omega and a Cartier — together valued at ₹3 lakh; gold ornaments worth another ₹3 lakh; and the car, valued at ₹4 lakh — bringing the total loss to about ₹10 lakh.

Following the complaint, the Sanand police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for theft and criminal breach of trust.

Officials said teams have been formed to track the suspects, who are believed to have fled towards Mumbai or the Gujarat–Maharashtra border. Investigators are also verifying the authenticity of the manpower agency and its alleged role in the recruitment of the two accused.