Surat in Shock After Rs.2.67 Crore Gold Theft from Private Safe House

SURAT :  Panic spread across Surat after reports emerged that 206 tolas of gold jewellery worth ₹2.67 crore had allegedly been stolen from Nakshatra Safe House in Singanpore. The incident triggered chaos across the city, with hundreds of locker holders rushing to the company’s other branches in Varachha to check whether their jewellery and cash were still safe.

Police say the theft was not a sudden crime but part of a pre-planned conspiracy. A case has been registered against manager Mahesh Deora, his sons Harsh Deora and Harikrishna Deora, and alleged locker breaker Manilal. Investigators believe the accused opened lockers at different times in the absence of customers and removed valuables without their knowledge.

“This appears to be a carefully planned breach of trust involving people who had access to the lockers,” a police officer said.

The panic intensified after social media posts about missing jewellery went viral. Long queues formed outside the Varachha branches as customers struggled to open their lockers. Many removed their cash and ornaments immediately after gaining access.

The complaint was filed by Rameshbhai Vaghani, who said his wife’s locker, rented since 2020, contained 63 tolas of jewellery that later disappeared. He alleged that when he demanded CCTV footage, one of the accused became agitated and claimed the data had been deleted.

Police have seized the DVR, digital records, and tools allegedly used to break lockers. The arrested father and sons are being questioned, while investigators are now examining whether similar thefts occurred at other Nakshatra branches.

“People trusted these private safe houses like bank lockers. That trust has now been shattered,” a worried customer said outside the Varachha branch.