5th accused arrested in Bilimora gold sovereigns theft case

With the latest development, all 240 stolen gold sovereigns have been seized.

Navsari police caught four persons and seized 199 gold sovereign of British Era. (Express Photo by Kamal Saiyed)

In the colonial-era gold sovereigns theft case from Bilimora in Navsari district, another accused has been arrested from Madhya Pradesh, police said Wednesday. Officials also seized 41 gold sovereigns worth over Rs 19 lakh from the man arrested from Alirajpur.

With the latest development, all 240 stolen gold sovereigns have been seized, officials said. On careful examination, the police found the coins to have engravings older than 1922 with dates ranging from 1911 to 1930 except 1921, 1923, 1924 and 1925. The sovereigns also have an engraving of King George V.

Mukesh Bhadiya (32) of Sondwa taluka is the fifth accused to be arrested in the case. Police recovered 41 gold sovereigns that were mortgaged to Gopal Gupta, a jeweler. Mukesh is a relative of Ramku Bhaydiya who is the main accused in the theft case, said police.

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Navsari Local Crime branch police inspector D S Korat said, “These (41) sovereigns were given by Mukesh and Ramku to a jeweler in Alirajpur under a mortgage for Rs 5.81 lakh. They had used money for making a bore in the village and some part of the money was used in purchasing agricultural equipment and others for general expenses. We have recovered all 240 gold sovereigns worth Rs 1.11 crore from the accused in this case. The antique value of these gold sovereigns is more, as we have counted the present gold price. Each gold sovereign weighs 7.98 gm.”

Last month, police arrested labourers Ramku Bhaydiya (47), Raju Bhaydiya (28), and his wife Bajri (24), labour contractor Sarfaraz Karadiya (44). A juvenile offender was also held. Officials recovered 199 gold sovereigns from the three labourers.

The arrests came following a complaint filed by Hawaben Balia who is currently living in Leicester in the United Kingdom. Hawaben who was at her native place in December 2022 had given her in-law’s ancestral house in Bazaar Street in Bilimora for demolition to labour contractor Sarfaraz.

In her complaint dated October 21, 2023, Hawaben Balia alleged the labourers and the contractor were involved in the theft of gold sovereigns found by them in the cavity of the wall of their ancestral house while carrying out the demolition. The demolition work of her house was carried out in January earlier in the year. At the time of the demolition, Hawaben was in the UK. She informed her relatives, staying in neighbourhood, to supervise the demolition activities.

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Navsari Local Crime branch’s inspector D S Korat further added, “We will produce Mukesh Bhaydiya in court on Thursday and seek his police remand to get more details.”

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