Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Jun 2: A 47-year-old woman has been arrested for allegedly stealing gold and diamond jewellery worth Rs 25 lakh from the residence of Bollywood actor Raveena Tandon's brother after reportedly gaining the family's trust while working as a caretaker, police said on Tuesday.

The accused, identified as Rashi Chhabria, a resident of Khar, was arrested by Juhu police. According to officials, she had been entrusted with caring for the actor's elderly mother, Veena Tandon.

Police said the theft came to light in October last year when family members inspected a safe and discovered it had been broken open. Several valuables, including gold and diamond jewellery and two luxury wristwatches, were found missing.

According to the FIR, when confronted by Rajiv Tandon, Chhabria initially denied the allegations but later allegedly confessed to the theft. Investigators said she returned two stolen watches but claimed the jewellery had been handed over to an associate named Jagdish and assured the family it would be returned.

However, despite repeated follow-ups, the jewellery was not recovered.

In his complaint, Rajiv Tandon stated that Chhabria had been visiting the family since 2020 through mutual acquaintances. Following the death of her husband and parents, she allegedly developed close ties with the family and was given unrestricted access to the residence.

The complaint stated that only family members and Chhabria had access to the second floor of the house, where the valuables were stored.

Rajiv Tandon also alleged that one of Chhabria's associates, who claimed to be a police informer, threatened to implicate him in a false narcotics case if he continued demanding the return of the jewellery.

Police said Chhabria was arrested on May 21 and produced before a court, which remanded her to police custody until May 29.

Further investigation is underway to trace the missing jewellery and identify any other individuals involved in the case.