MBA graduate hatches plan to rob jeweller with female friend

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

With the help of a female friend he met through an online app, an MBA graduate youth plotted to rob a city-based jeweller of his ornaments. He even tried to use one of the jeweller’s employees in the plan. However, the jeweller, with the help of the police, set a trap and the youth was caught red-handed on Sunday evening.

The accused have been identified as Rahul Nivrutti Sakate (36, Pune) and Mamta Anil Ulemale (Tilak Path).

Madhubala Jignesh Chandrani owns the Swaminarayan Jewellers store in Kasari Bazaar. Amol Maid, Mamta Ulemale, Mayur Terhe, and Shubham Salve work at her store. On March 27, Amol received a message that said: "You need money. I can help you. Everyone working at the shop has money—only you don’t. If you give me the jewellery from the shop, you’ll get money too." Amol honestly showed the message to the Chandrani family. As instructed by them, he continued to reply positively to the messages.

On April 21, Amol received another message from the sender, instructing him to pack all the gold jewellery in the shop, cash from the safe, and mortgaged gold into a bag.

Chandrani family sets a trap

The Chandrani family decided to catch the person attempting the robbery red-handed. On April 22, Amol received a message stating that someone would be coming to collect the bag of jewellery. In response, the jeweller filled a bag with fake jewellery. As planned, when the suspect arrived near the store to collect the bag, everyone together apprehended him. Acting on instructions from police inspector Sambhaji Pawar, PSIs Nivrutti Gayke and Arjun Kadam rushed to the spot and arrested the individual. During interrogation, he was identified as Rahul Sakate.

Working for 20 years, yet involved in a plot

Rahul, originally from Sangli, currently resides in Pune. However, he is heavily in debt. He came into contact with Mamta, who has been working at Chandrani’s shop for the past 20 years, through an online app. Together, they plotted the robbery.

In January 2025, an anonymous person demanded money from the Chandrani family by dropping a sealed envelope in front of the shop, threatening to leak photos.

Interestingly, Rahul spent money on an international app to send messages to Amol, using a contact number with an international format to avoid being traced.