Wife of a well-known city jeweller went missing from Tilak Nagar colony here today. Sumedha Durlabhji, wife of Rashmi Kant Durlabhji, didn’t come back from her morning walk. ‘‘Around 5.30 in the morning she walked out of her house. She usually comes back by 6.30. Her husband waited for her to return but there was no sign of her till much later. After checking with friends and family they called us. All hospitals have been checked and there is no news from them,’’ Jaipur DIG Ajit Singh Shekhawat said.‘‘We are not ruling out any possibility. It could be a case of abduction or rivalry. We will wait and watch for a couple of days. Neighbouring states have been alerted and security has been beefed up,’’ he said.But Durlabhji’s relatives claim that it is a clear case of abduction. ‘‘The family did receive a call in the morning, around 8.30. The unidentified caller said Sumedha is fine and warned against calling the police,’’ said Sunil Durlabhji, Rashmi Kant’s cousin.While both the family and the police officially deny that there was ransom demand made, sources say that the caller wanted Rs 2.5 crore. They also said another call was made around 2.30 pm and the demand was hiked to Rs 10 crore rupees. The second caller was also reportedly agitated about the fact that the police had been called in.The Durlabhji family is considered the first family of business in the Pink City. Known for their philanthropy and the Santokben Durlabhji Hospital run by them, the family is revered as a business icon in the city. Conservative estimates peg the family business at over Rs 800 crore.
