Pune: Pune Police have arrested a 24-year-old MBA graduate from Gujarat for allegedly stealing gold jewellery worth Rs 14.39 lakh from a school teacher he met on Snapchat.
The accused, Yash Bhulchandani, was caught in Gujarat's Mehsana district on July 21 following a month-long investigation. A local court sent him to police custody until July 25.
The incident took place in the Kondhwa area of Pune. The complainant, a 25-year-old international preschool teacher, met Bhulchandani on Snapchat nearly two years ago. On June 24, he called her to say he was visiting Pune and wanted to meet. She agreed and invited him to her house the following night.
While Bhulchandani was at home on June 25, the woman stepped out for 20 minutes to deliver food to a nearby relative. When she returned, Bhulchandani was gone. She searched her bedroom and found her cupboard open, with cash and 160 grams of gold jewellery missing. She filed a police complaint the next day.
Bhulchandani constantly changed locations across Gujarat to avoid getting caught. Constable Keshav Hirve traced his movements using digital surveillance, and a police team led by Sub-Inspector Ravindra Gawade eventually detained him in Vadodara.
Police recovered all the stolen gold, valued at Rs 14.39 lakh, along with 17 SIM cards. Investigators believe Bhulchandani used multiple SIM cards to contact women on Instagram and Snapchat.
According to Senior Police Inspector Santosh Khetmalas, Bhulchandani holds an MBA degree and previously worked in Kenya and Ghana. He returned to India in May. Police suspect he turned to crime after losing a large amount of money in stock trading in 2022.
