MUMBAI: 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 allegedly 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 recently arrested by Juhu police. She had been entrusted with caring for the actor’s elderly mother, Veena Tandon, an official said.According to police, the theft came to light in October last year when family members checked a safe and found it broken open. Several valuables, including gold and diamond jewellery and two luxury wristwatches, were found missing. The stolen valuables were worth Rs 25 lakh, the official added.As per the FIR, when confronted by Rajiv Tandon, Chhabria initially denied the allegations but later allegedly confessed to the crime. Police said she returned two stolen watches but claimed the jewellery had been handed over to an associate named Jagdish, promising the family that it would be returned.However, despite repeated follow-ups, the jewellery was not returned, police said.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.Only family members and Chhabria were permitted access to the second floor of the residence where the valuables were kept, the complaint stated.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 till May 29. Further investigation is underway.(With PTI inputs)
