House help returns home to find valuables, cash totalling ₹4 lakh stolen in Vejalpur

Gold and silver ornaments along with cash totalling ₹4.62 lakh were stolen from a residence in Om Shantinagar Society, Vejalpur in Ahmedabad, after an unidentified burglar allegedly broke open the house and an iron safe on Saturday, as per a complaint at Vejalpur Police Station.

Pinkiben Prahladbhai Jadav, who lives with her elder brother, sister-in-law and nephew at the residence, told police she had stepped out for work on the morning of November 15. Her brother, Sanjaybhai, had left for his job near ISKCON earlier in the day, while her sister-in-law had also departed for domestic work at a society in Makarba.

Pinkiben stated that she collected the house key from her sister-in-law’s workplace around 10.30 am before heading to Chandranagar for house-help duties. When she returned home at approximately 4.30 pm, she found the outer lock of the main door open.

Inside, the iron safe kept in the corner of the sitting room had been forced open, its lock broken, and its contents scattered. Several gold ornaments — including a one-tola gold chain, a gold coin, a pendant chain, earrings and other items, along with multiple silver ornaments, were missing. The total value of the stolen jewellery was estimated at ₹2.12 lakh.

She further told police that ₹2,50 lakh in cash, recently withdrawn from the bank as part of the benefits due to her late mother, was also missing. Additionally, a pension-related file belonging to her late father, a retired employee of the Vasna Telephone Exchange, had been removed from the safe.

Police said the unknown accused might have used a duplicate key or broken the door latch to enter the house before tampering with the iron safe. The total value of stolen cash and ornaments has been assessed at ₹4,62 lakh.

Police have registered a case under sections relating to house-breaking and theft. Officers said they are reviewing the movement of people in the area and examining nearby CCTV footage to identify the burglar.

An investigation is underway at the Vejalpur Police Station.