The Mumbai Heist That Wasn't: Woman Stages Elaborate Theft to Escape Marriage and Elope

In a dramatic turn of events that sounds straight out of a Bollywood thriller, Mumbai police have unraveled an elaborate plot by a 33-year-old woman who staged her own house theft to escape her marriage and elope with her boyfriend. The audacious scheme, which involved a faked robbery of Rs 22 lakh in cash and jewelry, quickly fell apart under police scrutiny, leading to her arrest and the apprehension of her accomplice.

The saga began on Friday when Sangeeta Gupta, a resident of Kanjurmarg, reported a shocking incident to the police.

She claimed that unknown intruders had broken into her home, made off with a substantial sum of money and precious ornaments, and even tied her up during the alleged heist. Her 14-year-old son, finding his mother bound, was the one who alerted the authorities, setting off a swift police response.

However, from the outset, something felt amiss to the seasoned officers of the Kanjurmarg police station.

The scene, as described by Sangeeta, didn't quite add up. Her narrative was riddled with inconsistencies, and investigators grew increasingly suspicious. A crucial red flag was raised when Sangeeta's husband, whose absence during the initial questioning was notable, couldn't corroborate certain details or provide a clear alibi for the alleged time of the robbery.

Under persistent questioning, the façade began to crumble.

Sangeeta eventually broke down and confessed to staging the entire theft. Her confession revealed a desperate motive: an unhappy marriage and a fervent desire to start a new life with her boyfriend, identified as Naresh Marwadi, aged 28. Her plan was meticulously crafted; she intended to report the "theft," then meet Naresh in Bandra on Saturday, from where they would escape to Goa or Delhi, leaving her current life behind.

Acting swiftly on the confession, police launched a manhunt for Naresh.

He was apprehended from a hotel in the city, where he was reportedly awaiting Sangeeta. Furthermore, the "stolen" cash and jewelry, totaling Rs 22 lakh, were recovered from Sangeeta's bag, which she had meticulously packed, ready for her new life. This recovery definitively exposed the fraudulent nature of her initial complaint.

Both Sangeeta Gupta and Naresh Marwadi have now been booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including theft, criminal conspiracy, and providing false information to the police.

This incident serves as a stark reminder of the complexities of human relationships and the lengths to which individuals may go when driven by desperation, even if it means orchestrating a major crime that ultimately unravels under the glare of justice.