Mumbai: In a bid to curb the rising cases of theft and cheating at Zaveri Bazaar, an important jewellery hub in India, the Mumbai police have asked all the jewellers and workers associations to do background checks of their artisans, a majority of whom come from West Bengal and Rajasthan.
In many of the theft and cheating cases, investigators have found the tyhat it was an inside job, mostly the most-trusted employees being involved. That’s why the city police have taken this initiative to ensure faster detection in such cases.
“There is a long and time consuming process to design and make jewellery. And for that an artisan has to go out at least ten times with the raw gold/silver/diamond to make a design. And there is an old modus operandi by artisans who cook up a story of loot and decamp with the valuables. In some cases, they (mostly the trusted artisans) made a duplicate key to steal the jewellery from the locker. I thank Mumbai police for devising this plan. This will have a deterrent effect,” said one of the renowned jewellers at Zaveri Bazaar.
Police had been making this suggesting to the jewellers and workers’ associations for a long time. But, while some of them had followed the police instructions, most of them were reluctant. A senior officer from Mumbai police south region told Free Press Journal that the jewellers and workers’ associations have now been given a prescribed format where they have to fill up the details of their employees to check their antecedents.
“The majority of artisans come from West Bengal and Rajasthan. In most of the cheating and theft cases, we have found the involvement of artisans. That’s why we have given a prescribed format to all the jewellers and workers associations so that they can keep the record of their employees for quick detection of such cases. It is mandatory for all jewellers,” a senior IPS officer told FPJ.
The form for verification of antecedent of artisans requires their name, alias (if any), thumb impression, present and permanent addresses with contact number(s) and name(s) of concerned police station, father’s full name, passport size photograph, contact number and full details of the person who referred him to work, etc.
The form will also require the details of artisans’ friend in their hometown. After filling up the ‘character and antecedent verification’ form for employees, the association has been asked to submit it to the concerned police station where the record of artisans will be maintained.
