Three women in Madhya Pradesh’s Burhanpur stole gold jewellery worth around Rs 45 lakh from a jewellery shop after posing as customers and distracting the shopkeeper. The coordinated heist, also involving two men, took place on Monday evening and was captured on CCTV cameras.The theft occurred at a jewellery shop owned by Anil Agarwal and associated with the well-known jewellery retailer Laxman Kishore Jugal Kishore Jewellers.According to the CCTV footage, the women entered the shop on the pretext of purchasing jewellery and began examining the items displayed at the counter.While the shopkeeper and employees were attending to them, the women took advantage of the distraction to steal a small plastic box containing gold ornaments.

They concealed the box in their sarees and remained at the shop for some time before leaving. According to police, one of their male accomplices was waiting outside on a bike, wearing a helmet, while another man stood some distance away.

One of the women initially sat on the bike before the others joined her to make their escape. The suspects then fled the area.The theft came to light around 15 minutes later, when the jeweller noticed that the box containing the jewellery was missing.

After checking the CCTV footage, the shopkeeper found that the women had taken the box and concealed it while pretending to examine the jewellery. Burhanpur City Superintendent of Police Vinod Singh Kushwaha confirmed the incident and said the police had activated their informant network to identify and arrest those involved.The police are also gathering information about similar thefts reported in nearby areas and checking records of people previously involved in such offences.

Information is being collected from police stations in neighbouring areas, including those in Maharashtra, to determine whether the suspects could be linked to similar cases.With crowds increasing in jewellery markets during the Diwali festive season, the police said they would intensify evening foot patrols and keep a watch on suspicious individuals. Shopkeepers will also be advised to monitor customers closely until their transactions are completed and they leave the premises.The exact value of the stolen jewellery is yet to be assessed.

The shopkeeper will examine the missing ornaments and provide an estimate.- Ends(With inputs from Ashok Soni in Burhanpur)