Kailali Police Recover Jewelry and Cash Worth 210 Million Rupees Stolen from India
The Far-Western Police have recovered jewelry and cash worth 210 million Nepali Rupees stolen in Delhi, India. Three individuals have been arrested, and alongside diamonds, pearls, and gold and silver ornaments, currencies from various countries were also seized. The recovered items have been handed over to the victims through the Indian Embassy, while the search for other suspects involved in the theft continues. Dhangadhi, May 23.
The Far-Western Police successfully seized a large cache of stolen jewelry and cash from India following an extensive investigation by a joint team from the Provincial Police Office and the Kailali District Police Office. The recovered items include diamonds, pearls, gold and silver ornaments, wristwatches from various companies, and currencies from Nepal and other countries, with a total estimated value exceeding 210 million rupees.
According to the Kailali District Police Office, the theft occurred on February 25 at the residence of Sanjay Kumar Makhija in Rajendra Nagar, Delhi. It was discovered that the theft was committed by a group led by Upendra Rawat from Budhiganga Municipality-10 in Bajura, who had been working in Makhija’s home. Indian police filed a complaint with the Nepal Police, prompting the investigation, which led to the arrest of Rawat and two others.
The detained individuals include Lokesh Dhami from Khaptadchededah Rural Municipality-3 in Bajura and Arjun Sunar from Safebagar Municipality-4 in Achham, who reportedly purchased the stolen goods. During the arrests, police recovered merchandise worth approximately 207 million rupees, including jewelry.
Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Om Bahadur Rana, chief of Far-Western Police, disclosed that the operation recovered stolen items including 12 watches valued at 13.4 million Nepali rupees, various gold ornaments worth 4.33 million rupees, diamond and gold rings worth 1.56 million rupees, silver ornaments valued at about 215,530 rupees, and gold worth about 300,000 rupees.
The cash and currencies seized have been returned to the rightful owners. On Friday, the victims, accompanied by Nepalese representatives through the Indian Embassy, visited Kailali to receive their recovered belongings. The Provincial Police Office stated they handed over the items to the affected parties through the District Police Office. Kailali Superintendent of Police Narendra Chand confirmed that the recovered jewelry and cash were delivered to the owners under the supervision of local representatives and concerned authorities.
Sanjay Kumar Makhija, the Indian citizen whose residence was burgled, expressed appreciation for the Nepal Police’s efforts in recovering the stolen goods. “Some of the items stolen from my home are still missing. I believe in the support of the Nepal Police,” he said. “I sincerely thank all the Nepal Police officers who played an active role in recovering the stolen items.” Police confirmed that not all of the stolen goods from Makhija’s home have been recovered yet. While the arrested individuals have named other suspects, those persons remain at large, and the search is ongoing.
Recently, there has been a rising trend of domestic workers traveling to India gaining the trust of their employers and smuggling stolen jewelry and cash into Nepal. However, law enforcement faces challenges in taking further action beyond prosecuting the cases publicly due to unclear legal frameworks, police officials noted.