TNN

Mumbai, Oct 18: Diamonds worth Rs 10 crore were stolen from a jeweller's office in the high-security Panchratna building on Tuesday October 16 night. Duplicate keys were used to open the door, hinting at the involvement of an insider, the police said.

The D B Marg police, who have registered a break-in case, said that no security guard or watchman was stationed outside Arshit Gems Company (office number 504) on the fifth floor of Panchratna where the theft took place.

"Investigations are on. But we were surprised when we came to know that the costly diamonds was kept in the drawer of a wooden table instead of a safe," DCP (zone II) Ramrao Pawar told TOI. The police are also taking help from a government valuer to ascertain the exact cost of the diamonds.

Three workers are employed for the administrative job in the office who work only during the day. According to Pawar, one of the three workers, Hitesh Patel (22), who also happens to be the cousin of the owner, lodged a complaint.

Another worker, whose identity has not been disclosed, is missing, sources said. Patel in his statement told the police that the theft took place in the 200 sq ft office where the diamonds that were supposed to be exported were kept.

"No one has seen any unidentified person entering the building at night. The police have also questioned the watchmen of the building but are yet to make any headway in the case. One thing is for sure that no window or door was broke open and a duplicate key was used. This probably the handiwork of an insider," said a source.

"The company imports raw diamonds and exports finished ones. The raw diamonds are sent to Surat for polishing and designing. After the polished diamonds come from Surat, they are kept in the administrative office at Panchratna," said Pawar. The police said that most of Panchratna shop owners are dependent on the building watchmen who are deployed on the ground floor.