Mumbai, February 15: A 51-year-old newly married man has been arrested by Dindoshi police weeks after allegedly fleeing with his wife’s gold jewellery worth INR 17 lakh and INR 1.5 lakh in cash. The arrest follows a complaint filed by his wife, who reported that the valuables went missing from her Malad home on January 24, along with her husband, whose phones were found switched off.  The man confessed to the police that mounting stock market losses led him to steal his wife’s gold jewellery and cash before disappearing.

According to a report by Times Of India,  The accused, identified as PC Nayak, married the 50-year-old woman in November 2024 after connecting through a matrimonial portal. A widow with a daughter from her previous marriage, the woman was encouraged by her family to find companionship again. Drawn to Nayak’s profile, where he claimed to have lost his wife and child to Covid, she began conversing with him. Their relationship culminated in a court marriage, after which the couple rented a flat in Malad (East). Andheri Shocker: Man Stabs Neighbour to Death Following Frequent Disputes in Mumbai, Case Registered.

The wife told police that Nayak earned her trust by assisting in organizing her daughter’s wedding in December 2024. While her daughter and son-in-law lived in Vile Parle, she stayed in Malad. In January, she brought her gold jewellery and INR 1.5 lakh in cash to her Malad home, placing them safely in a cupboard on January 24. The following morning, she discovered that Nayak had vanished along with the valuables, and both his phones were unreachable. Mumbai Fire Video: Massive Blaze Breaks Out at Turbhe Dumping Ground in Navi Mumbai, Firefighters Rush to the Spot (Watch Videos).

Worried after Nayak’s sudden disappearance, the wife contacted her daughter and son-in-law. Together, they visited Nayak’s workplace, only to discover that he had not reported to work for several days. Realizing they had been deceived, they filed a cheating complaint with the Dindoshi police.

Under the supervision of DCP Smita Patil, ACP Datta Dhole, and senior inspector Ajay Aphale, the Dindoshi police team employed technical surveillance to trace Nayak’s whereabouts. Their investigation led them to Baner, Pune, where Nayak was arrested on Thursday. While the stolen gold was recovered, the police stated that only INR 35,000 in cash was found.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 15, 2025 12:47 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).