Jewellery worth ₹23 lakh missing from retired IAF officer’s house in Ggm

Gurugram: A domestic help working for a retired Indian Air Force (IAF) officer has been booked for allegedly decamping with gold and diamond jewellery worth ₹23 lakh from the latter’s residence in Palam Vihar, Gurugram police said on Thursday.

Investigators said the alleged theft came to light when retired squadron leader Rajesh Kumar’s wife Archana (55), opened a cupboard in her bedroom to take out jewellery for attending a personal event in Noida on Tuesday, but found them missing.

Police said the retired IAF officer’s wife suspected their domestic help for the theft, as he abruptly left for his hometown in Bihar’s Sitamarhi after taking all his pending payments and journey expenses on May 20 this year.

Police said the couple had gone to attend weddings in Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh for several days and had returned on May 18.

According to investigators, Archana used to keep her jewellery in a code-enabled locker, but after returning from the marriage events, she had kept them in the bedroom cupboard.

An FIR was registered against the domestic help under Section 381 (theft by clerk or servant of property in possession of master) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Palam Vihar police station on Wednesday, police said.

Subhash Boken, public relations officer of Gurugram police, said they are trying to trace the suspect with the help of the phone number provided by the elderly couple. “If needed, a police team will be sent to Bihar,” he added.