Manek Chowk jeweller alleges ₹40 lakh gold theft by trusted manager; accused held within hours

A major breach of trust has come to light in Ahmedabad’s bustling Manek Chowk jewellery market, where a jewellery shop manager has been accused of systematically stealing gold worth nearly ₹40 lakh from his employer over a period of almost six months.

The alleged fraud surfaced only after the employee abruptly stopped reporting to work and became unreachable, prompting a stock verification that revealed a substantial shortage of gold from the shop’s inventory.

Mukeshbhai Jasubhai Soni, 32, proprietor of Yogi Jewellers Private Limited in Manek Chowk, the accused, identified as Dhaval Burse, had been employed at the store for the past one-and-a-half years and was entrusted with maintaining accounts and supervising stock.

Police said the matter came to light on May 29 when Dhaval failed to open the shop as per routine. Mukeshbhai subsequently opened the establishment himself and contacted the employee, who reportedly assured him that he would arrive within an hour.

However, Dhaval never turned up. His mobile phone was later found switched off and remained unreachable the following day, raising suspicion among the shop owners.

Concerned by his sudden disappearance, Mukeshbhai and another employee, Vinodbhai Ravjibhai Jotania, conducted a detailed audit of the gold stock kept at the premises.

During the verification, they allegedly discovered that 280 grams of fine gold were missing from 25 gold pieces stored in the shop. The stock, which should have weighed 1,753.263 grams, was found to be significantly short.

Investigators believe the accused may have adopted a methodical approach, allegedly removing small quantities of gold over an extended period to avoid immediate detection.

The theft is suspected to have taken place between December 5 and May 29. The missing 280 grams of fine gold is estimated to be worth approximately ₹40 lakh.

Following the registration of the FIR at Khadia Police Station, police launched a search operation to trace the missing employee.

Officials said the accused, who had allegedly gone into hiding after the discrepancy was discovered, was apprehended by the Crime Branch within hours of the complaint being registered.

Investigators are now examining whether the stolen gold was sold, pledged or diverted through other channels and are also scrutinising financial transactions linked to the accused.

Police are continuing their investigation to determine the exact manner in which the alleged theft was carried out and whether any other individuals were involved.