बुटवल — पसलमा चोरी भयो, बीमा कम्पनीसँग दाबी गर्ने र ग्राहकले धितो राखेको सुन पनि पचाउने — यही तीन उद्देश्य मनमा राखेर एक सुनचाँदी व्यवसायीले आफ्नै पसलमा चोरीको नाटक मञ्चन गरेको प्रहरीको अनुसन्धानले उदाङ्गो पारेको छ। रुपन्देहीको बुटवल उपमहानगरपालिका–५ अमरपथस्थित तिनाउ सुनचाँदी पसलका सञ्चालक ४१ वर्षीय दीपक विकलाई प्रहरीले पक्राउ गरी बुधबार सार्वजनिक गरेको छ।

जेठ १६ गते विक पोखरा गएको देखाउँदै पसलबाट एक करोड ४६ लाख ९४ हजार ७०० रुपैयाँ बराबरका सुनचाँदीका गरगहना चोरी भएको उजुरी परेको थियो। तर प्रहरीले सिसिटिभी फुटेज खँगाल्दा फरक तस्बिर सामने आयो — विक सोही साँझ बुटवल फर्किएर जेठ १७ गते राति करिब १ बजे आफ्नै कामदार नवीन विकको सहयोगमा पसलभित्र पसेको र दुई घण्टाभन्दा बढी समय पसलभित्र बसेपछि सामान बोकेर तिनाउ पुल पार गर्दै फरार भएको स्पष्ट देखियो।

इलाका प्रहरी कार्यालय बुटवलमा आयोजित पत्रकार सम्मेलनमा प्रहरी उपरीक्षक जनकबहादुर शाहीले भने — लुम्बिनी प्रदेश प्रहरी, दाङको विशेष अनुसन्धान ब्युरो र जिल्ला प्रहरीको संयुक्त टोलीले विकको घरमा छापा मार्दा बाला, लकेटसहितको सिक्री, कानपासा, झुम्का, औँठी, माला लगायत सुनचाँदीका गरगहना बरामद भएका छन्। पसल सञ्चालक र कामदार दुवैलाई आपराधिक विश्वासघात मुद्दामा थप अनुसन्धान जारी छ।

BUTWAL — What was reported as a brazen jewellery heist has turned out to be an elaborate self-orchestrated fraud. A goldsmith from Butwal allegedly broke into his own shop in the dead of night, stripped it of ornaments worth over Rs 1.46 crore, and then filed a theft complaint the next morning — all to claim insurance money and keep gold pledged by customers as collateral. Police arrested 41-year-old Deepak Bik, owner of Tinau Sunaachandi Pasal at Amarpat, Butwal Sub-Metropolitan City Ward No. 5, and presented him to the media this week.

The scheme began to unravel when investigators pulled CCTV footage from multiple locations across Butwal. Bik had claimed to be in Pokhara on the evening of Jestha 16, the night of the alleged theft. But the cameras told a different story — footage showed him returning to Butwal that same evening, entering his own shop around 1:00 AM on Jestha 17, spending more than two hours inside, and then leaving with the goods before crossing the Tinau bridge and slipping away through Ward No. 2.

A joint investigation team comprising the Lumbini Province Police Office, the Special Investigation Bureau in Dang, the District Police Office, and the Area Police Office Butwal coordinated the inquiry. Acting on the findings, police raided Bik's residence and recovered a significant haul of ornaments including gold bangles, a locket chain, ear pins, jhumkas, rings, necklaces, and silver items. Both Bik and his shop employee Nabin Bik of Tilottama Municipality Ward No. 2, who allegedly assisted in the operation, have been arrested and charged with criminal breach of trust. Further investigation is ongoing.

In separate incidents also disclosed at the same press conference, police caught another suspect red-handed while cutting the lock of Dev Sunaachandi Pasal at Bikashpath, Ward No. 5, late on Jestha 19. Additionally, Shiv Om Tharu of Kapilvastu Municipality Ward No. 2 has been arrested in connection with a robbery at the residence of Rajesh Kumar Gupta in Sukkhanagar, Ward No. 8, where cash and jewellery were stolen. Deputy Superintendent of Police Nishant Srivastava confirmed that investigations into all three cases are actively progressing.