Rs 3-crore Bengaluru gold heist: Inter-state ‘bulk buyer’ gang members held

Mahendra Kumar Jain, manager of Mehta Gold, stated in the police complaint that he was informed that a person named Paresh Soni, who was operating a firm called Mahi Enterprises in Malleswaram in north Bengaluru, was willing to buy gold in bulk. Jain and another employee, Prakash, reportedly carried 3 kg of gold ornaments to the buyer’s address on May 16.

At the buyer’s address, Soni and two others — identified as Shyam and Chandrashekhar Rao — were present. Out of the 3 kg of gold, the buyers selected around 1.8 kg worth Rs 3 crore, Jain said in the complaint. During the selection process, Rao suddenly disappeared with the selected gold, while Shyam and Soni also followed suit, claiming they were going to locate Rao.

“The police pursued multiple leads and, based on credible information, arrested Soni near the flyover at Anand Rao Circle, Seshadripuram, on May 18. During interrogation, he confessed to committing the theft along with his associates,” the police said in a statement. Soni disclosed details about three accomplices involved in the offence.

“Based on his information, Praveen Pappu was arrested on May 20 in front of Prarthana Samaj, Mumbai. He confessed to his involvement in the crime and revealed that 220 grams of the stolen gold jewellery had been sold to a jewellery shop in Zaveri Bazaar, Mumbai,” the police said.

Further interrogation revealed that portions of the stolen jewellery had been handed over to their friends residing in Chickpet, Avalahalli, and Guttahalli. “The police recovered 788 grams of gold from these locations between May 24 and 30. Efforts are underway to trace and arrest the missing associates,” the police said.