Moving co workers steal 16.2L ornaments, FIR filed

Mumbai: An FIR was lodged on Thursday against four workers of a Mumbai-based packers and movers company for allegedly stealing gold and silver ornaments worth Rs 16.2 lakh from a locked bag while transporting items from a Bandra home to Lonavla in a tempo last month. The victim, yoga instructor Mansi Kulkarni, who had travelled in the tempo, discovered the theft on Sept 7 after returning to Lonavla, said a Bandra police officer.Kulkarni (46) made a booking with the company for transportation of household items to her father's home in Lonavla. Four employees—Pappu, Pradeep Kumar, Khan and Ajay—were sent on Aug 9. While packing the boxes, one of the workers requested Kulkarni for some old clothes for his father. She gave him a bag of her father's old garments. After the boxes were loaded into a tempo, she sat in the front and tried to keep a travel bag containing ornaments and documents with her. A worker, however, assured her that since the bag was locked, it could be safely placed at the back. She complied, told the workers that the bag contained valuables and requested them to take special care of it. As per the FIR, there were seven other persons, including the driver, in the vehicle. A little later, one worker left with the bag of donated clothes. On being questioned, the others said he had some unavoidable work to attend to and resumed the journey. The tempo arrived at the Lonavla home late at night. Kulkarni didn't check the boxes and returned to Bandra the next day. "On Sept 3, I went to Lonavla again. On Sept 7, while checking the travel bag, I discovered that its lock had been broken and the valuables were missing," she said in her complaint. The police officer said the ornaments were likely moved to the bag of donated clothes that one of the workers left with. "We have sought details of the employees who were sent to Kulkarni's residence."