Mumbai: Woman arrested for stealing Rs 26 lakh in cash and jewellery

The accused’s sister had been dismissed from the same residence’s service for stealing Rs 50,000. Representation pic

The Oshiwara police apprehended a 35-year-old woman, Archana Kashikar, who is alleged to have stolen cash and gold ornaments worth Rs 26 lakh from her employer.

Archana's mother-in-law, Dhondabai, served as a maid at an Oshiwara residence for the past 30 years. Due to Dhondabai's advanced age, she requested the homeowners to employ Archana in 2017. The homeowners agreed and enlisted the youth as a maid alongside three others.

Archana Kashikar

On October 25, the homeowners received a call from an anonymous source reporting that Archana had stolen from the drawer of Sukarma Chawla, 78, the homeowner's mother. Upon inspection, the homeowners found cash missing from the wooden cupboard where Sukarma kept her savings. It was later discovered that Sukarma's wedding jewellery was also nowhere to be found.

API Anand Nagral of the Oshiwara police stated, "Upon investigation, the complainant learnt that approximately R26 lakh, including the value of gold ornaments, had gone missing since 2017. It was also revealed that the accused' sister had been dismissed from the same residence's service for stealing R50,000 before Archana joined. Archana routinely took money every 15 days without informing the homeowners, in addition to her regular salary. We are examining her bank accounts and conducting a search of her residence to determine the precise amount stolen."

He added, "Archana was presented in a court of law on Sunday and was remanded in two-day police custody."