Woman allegedly steals gold worth ₹10 lakh from friend’s home in Makarba

A woman has been booked for allegedly stealing over 13 tolas of gold jewellery worth approximately ₹9.66 lakh from her friend’s home in Makarba, Ahmedabad, while pretending to use the bathroom during a friendly visit.

The incident, which occurred on May 27, 2025, came to light after the complainant discovered the missing ornaments days later and filed a complaint with the Sarkhej police.

According to the FIR lodged at Makarba police chowki on July 15, Mansiben Jineshbhai Doshi, who worked as a teacher at a centre for children with intellectual disabilities, developed a close friendship with the complainant’s wife, Kalaben Bhandari. On the morning of May 27, Mansiben visited the Bhandaris' residence on the pretext of taking a bath due to water shortage at her Ellisbridge paying guest (PG) accommodation.

The complainant, Dhirajbhai Bhandari (62), a resident of Makarba, stated in his complaint that his wife had allowed Mansiben to bathe in the attached bathroom of their bedroom. However, once inside, Mansiben allegedly locked the bedroom door under the excuse of wanting privacy and remained inside for more than an hour. She later exited with her bag and had lunch at the Bhandari household before leaving.

It was not until June 3, 2025, when the family was preparing to attend a family function in Ankleshwar, that Kalaben opened her cupboard and realised that multiple gold items—including a 49-gram mangalsutra, four bangles weighing 65 grams, and several smaller pieces—were missing. The jewellery had been withdrawn from a Bank of Baroda locker for a wedding in November 2024 and was stored in the bedroom cupboard since then.

Dhirajbhai alleged that no other visitors had entered the bedroom between November 2024 and May 2025, and that Mansiben was familiar with the house’s layout, including the location of the cupboard keys. He further submitted marriage jewellery bills from 1991 and locker withdrawal slips to support his claim.

Following the complaint, Sarkhej police has registered a case under appropriate sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023, and has started an investigation.

Police officials confirmed that the complaint was formally recorded and a copy of the FIR was provided to the complainant. Efforts are now underway to trace and apprehend the accused.