Indore (Madhya Pradesh): A festive wedding celebration turned sour when a trusted relative turned out to be the thief behind the theft of jewellery worth ₹20 lakh. Lasudia police arrested Varun Shukla, a resident of Jabalpur, for stealing valuables from the bags of his sister-in-law and mother-in-law during a marriage function in Indore’s Nipania area.
Thanks to swift action by Lasudia police and clues from CCTV footage, the stolen items were recovered within a day from a friend’s house in Casa Vilas Colony and the thief was arrested.
The incident took place at a hotel in Nipania where guests from Uttar Pradesh were staying after attending a wedding at Dastoor Delight Garden. On June 20, 2025, complainant Priyanka Tiwari lodged a complaint stating that she, along with her relatives, had stayed in a room of the hotel following the ceremony.
On the night of June 19, around 10:30 pm, they locked the room and went upstairs for dinner. When they returned at 1:30 am, they found their purses — belonging to Priyanka and her aunt — were ransacked. Upon checking, they found that gold and diamond jewellery along with Rs 9,000 cash had been stolen.
Police checked CCTV footage from the hotel and questioned hotel staff, guests, and relatives. During interrogation, the behaviour of Varun Shukla, the complainant’s brother-in-law (sister’s husband), appeared suspicious. Additionally, his driver also hinted at suspicious behaviour. Police questioned Varun more strictly and he eventually confessed to the theft, revealing that he had hidden the stolen jewellery at a friend’s house in Casa Vilas Colony.
