One year on, the DB Marg and Sahar police stations that had successfully solved two diamond theft cases, are still waiting for the cash reward of Rs5 lakh announced by deputy chief minister RR Patil.
The diamonds stolen were valued at Rs16.5 crore.
Lauding the efforts of police personnel in a press conference at the police club on October 22, 2007, Patil had said that the then police commissioner DN Jadhav would pick the awardees and their share of the prize money, depending on ranks and contributions made.
DB Marg police solved a diamond theft case by arresting four persons. Stolen diamonds worth Rs11 crore were also recovered. Hitesh Patel, proprietor of Aarshita Gems at Pancharatna building in Opera House, lodged a complaint at DB Marg police station stating that diamonds worth Rs11 crore were stolen on October 16. The kingpin of the crime was apparently working as a peon in Patel’s firm.
In the second case of theft in which diamonds worth Rs5.5 crore were stolen from the Chhatrapati Shivaji International airport on October 11, 2007, the Sahar police arrested three loaders of Air India on October 13, 2007 and recovered the stolen diamonds.
The accused had broke open the container that arrived by Thai Airways from Bangkok and stolen the diamonds. They had hidden the diamonds in a toilet at the airport. Ujjwala Pednekar, manager (cargo) at the airport, had lodged the complaint at the Sahar police station.
