Surat police said, the safe vault owners conspired to break open customer lockers and sold the stolen gold to local jewellers. (Representative Image/ Pexels)
The Surat police on Tuesday night arrested the owners of a private safe deposit facility for allegedly stealing gold jewellery worth Rs 2.67 crore from the lockers of 15 customers to repay heavy stock market losses.
The arrested individuals include facility owner Mahesh Diyora, his sons Harsh and Harikrishna, and Manilal Chauhan, a lock-breaking expert hired for the crime. Authorities recovered Rs 15 lakh in cash and a duplicate key maker during initial operations.
According to P M Chaudhary, Singanpor Police Inspector, the family, facing severe pressure, conspired to break open customer lockers and sold the stolen gold to local jewellers at approximately Rs 1.30 lakh per tola to clear their debts.
Chaudhary told The Indian Express, “There are around 700 lockers in Nakshatra Safe that are rented out to different people who had kept their jewellery and other valuables in them. The owners charge Rs 1,700 to Rs 2,000 depending on the size of the lockers.”
The police have verified the bank statements of Diyora and his sons and found that they had sold jewellery to seven to eight jewellers. Chaudhary said, “Diyora’s sons have lost Rs 3 crore in share trading business. The amount invested was taken on loan from a moneylender”.
According to the police, the thefts came to light when Ramesh Vaghani, one of the customers of Nakshatra Safe Vault, found two of his lockers broken on July 11 when he and his wife went to take some jewellery to attend an event. At that time, they noted that other lockers were also broken.
As per details, Vaghani had opened two lockers in the facility located at Singanpor in 2020 — one operated by him and the other by his wife, and the couple was paying a monthly fee of Rs 1,700 per locker to the Diyoras.
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Vaghani lodged a police complaint on July 27 as they found the owners’ replies unsatisfactory. He told the police that when he and his wife went to check the jewellery at the safe vault on May 8, it was intact.
The police have booked Diyora and his two sons for criminal breach of trust and criminal conspiracy.
The demand for private safe lockers has increased in Surat, a city which has a sizeable population of diamond merchants and jewellery businessmen, the police said.
According to businessmen, the reason for opting for private safe lockers is that they open as early as 8 am and close at 8 pm, unlike banks that open at 11 am and close at 5 or 6 pm. “Another highlight is that such private players operate even on Sundays. The locker owner can also use it multiple times a day. While in banks, the locker owner can operate only once a day. The banks remain closed during holidays and on Sundays. Well-developed security arrangements have been laid in the lockers, including an emergency alarm,” said Kanji Bhalara, Safe Vault owner, Surat.
Kamal Saiyed is a senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, providing extensive, on-the-ground coverage from Surat and the broader South Gujarat region and the Union territories of Daman, Diu & Dadra Nagar Haveli. With a reporting career at the publication spanning back to 2007, he has established himself as a high-authority voice on the industrial, social, and political pulse of one of India’s fastest-growing urban hubs.
Expertise
Industrial & Economic Beat: Based in the "Diamond City," Saiyed offers expert reporting on the diamond and textile industries. His work tracks global market shifts (such as De Beers production changes), local trade policies, and the socio-economic challenges facing the millions of workers in Surat’s manufacturing hubs.
Civic & Infrastructure Coverage: He consistently reports on urban development and public safety in Surat, including:
Traffic & Urban Planning: Monitoring the city's 13-fold increase in traffic violations and the implementation of new municipal drives.
Public Safety: Investigative reporting on infrastructure failures, fire safety NOC compliance in schools and commercial buildings, and Metro rail progress.
Political Reporting: Tracking the shifting dynamics between the BJP, Congress, and AAP in South Gujarat and the neighboring Union Territories (Daman, Diu, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli).
Crime beat: Armed with a good source network Saiyed has been able to bring out the human side of crime stories in his region ... Read More
