The Malad police helped recover a jeweller’s bag containing silver ornaments worth nearly Rs 1 lakh that had been accidentally left behind in an autorickshaw. According to police, Rahul Jain, a resident of Jankalyan Nagar, Malad, and owner of Shree Sai Jewellery at Malwani Gate No. 1, was travelling to Zaveri Bazaar with a bag full of silver ornaments when the incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon.
Speaking with mid-day, Jain said, “I took an auto from Malwani No. 1 and got down at Malad Station. I had kept the jewellery bag on the seat beside me, but in a hurry, I forgot to take it along. When I realised my mistake, I immediately went back, but the auto driver had already left. I searched everywhere but couldn’t find him.” Jain then approached the Malad police station for help. On-duty officer PSI Manisha Kagalkar promptly informed Senior Inspector Dushyant Chauhan, who alerted Detection Officer API Deepak Raiwade. Head Constable John Fernandes began scanning CCTV footage from cameras near the station.
“After checking multiple camera angles for nearly an hour and a half, Fernandes managed to trace the autorickshaw’s registration number from the footage. With that lead, the team tracked down the owner and driver, contacted him, and successfully recovered the jewellery bag,” said an officer.
A relieved Jain expressed heartfelt gratitude towards the Malad police team, especially Kagalkar and Fernandes. “I had lost all hope, but their relentless efforts got my jewellery back. I can’t thank them enough,” he said. The recovered items included a silver idol of Lord Krishna and a decorative diya, together valued at around R1 lakh. Jain said he was carrying the pieces as samples for a customer at Zaveri Bazaar, who eventually declined the purchase, prompting his return trip when the mishap occurred.
Thanks to the prompt coordination and vigilance of the Malad police, the jeweller’s valuables were returned safely within hours. API Deepak Raiwade said, “We traced the auto driver in Malad East. He told us that after dropping the complainant at Malad station, he moved a few metres ahead when another passenger boarded the auto. The passenger noticed the bag left behind and informed the driver. The bag was completely intact, and even the staple pin on the pouch was unopened. The driver was trying to locate the owner when our team reached him. The jewellery was then handed over to its owner in the presence of Senior Inspector Dushyant Chauhan and PSI Kagalkar.”
