On the night of June 11, Tanishq showroom employee Nitin Verma threw a party for his colleagues to celebrate his ‘upcoming marriage’. The 24-year-old plied the guests with alcohol, especially the cashier who was responsible for the showroom keys. Playing the good host, he dropped the cashier off at home and allegedly stole the keys from his bag.

At 7 am the next day, Nitin and an associate used the keys to enter the showroom in Ghaziabad’s Kavi Nagar and allegedly made off with jewellery and cash worth more than Rs 3 crore.

This, police said, is how Nitin and his associates pulled off the high-profile theft. Police claimed to have cracked the case within days, arresting Nitin; a woman accomplice, Kajal; who police said was his girlfriend, and his father, Sanjay Verma (52).

According to police officers, the theft came to light after a Tanishq showroom representative named Rohit Arora filed a complaint on June 12 alleging that Nitin, Kajal and an unidentified associate had stolen jewellery after gaining access to the premises.

A special investigation involving five police teams was launched. Using CCTV footage, local intelligence, and information from informants, the City Zone SWAT Team and Kavi Nagar Police traced and arrested the trio from the Sai Gate area of Chiranjeev Vihar on June 16.

During questioning, police said Nitin allegedly admitted to masterminding the theft after being tempted by the large quantity of gold jewellery stored at the showroom. Police said he conspired with his father, Kajal, and two other associates to execute the plan.

“Investigations revealed that on June 11, Nitin hosted a party for showroom staff under the pretext of celebrating his upcoming marriage. During the gathering, he allegedly ensured that the cashier, who was responsible for the showroom keys, consumed excessive alcohol. Later, while escorting him home, Nitin is accused of stealing the keys from his bag,” DCP Dhawal Jaiswal said.

The following morning, Nitin and an accomplice identified as Chintu alias Chitranjan used the stolen keys to enter the showroom.

While Chintu kept watch outside, Nitin entered the premises and stole a large quantity of jewellery before they fled, Jaiswal said. The official said Nitin wore his uniform to evade suspicion.

Police said the stolen ornaments were later divided among the conspirators. Some of the jewellery had already been sold, and the proceeds from those sales were recovered during the investigation. The remaining stolen gold was seized before it could be disposed of.

The recovery included approximately 2 kg of gold jewellery valued at around Rs 3.10 crore, Rs 6.5 lakh in cash, a 12-bore country-made pistol, and six live cartridges.

The case has been hailed as a significant success for the Ghaziabad Police, who managed to crack the theft within days of the crime and recover most of the stolen property. Jaiswal said that a reward of Rs 50,000 has been declared for the police team that cracked the case.

The officer said efforts are underway to apprehend the remaining suspects involved in the theft and conspiracy.