Duo tries to sell Rs 13 lakh jewellery that couple forgot in auto

The two arrested accused.

Unit 5 of the Mumbai crime branch arrested two autorickshaw drivers on Wednesday for trying to sell jewellery worth Rs 13 lakh, which a senior citizen couple had forgotten in the vehicle.

According to the police, the accused have been identified as Ajay, 36, and Ajit Pal, both brothers-in-law. They said Ajay was earlier arrested in 2008 for not returning a passenger's laptop that was forgotten in his vehicle.

In his statement to the police, complainant Gopal Mayabiyan, 67, said, "On November 16, we were headed to our hometown so we decided to keep the jewellery at my elder sister's place in Hiranandani, Powai. We hired the autorickshaw in Chandivli and got off at Hiranandani. As we were in a hurry, we forgot the bag and thought the driver would find us, but when he did not, we filed a complaint with the Powai police."

Unit 5 of the Mumbai crime branch received a tip-off that an autorickshaw driver was to sell ornaments at a jewellery store in Kurla. A trap was laid and Ajay was detained.

"We found 40 tola gold and 150 gm silver jewellery with him for which, he could not produce the documents. During questioning, he revealed that a passenger had lost a bag carrying the jewellery and medicines in his brother-in-law's rickshaw. The duo planned to sell the jewellery worth Rs 13 lakh," said Jagdish Sail, senior police inspector, crime branch, Unit 5.

Following the details given by Ajay, the crime branch found that a senior citizen couple had registered an NC on November 16 at Powai police station after they lost a bag containing the jewellery.

Investigation revealed that couple had forgotten the bag in Ajit's autorickshaw. Ajit kept the bag for almost two weeks and later, he and Ajay decided to sell the jewellery.

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