1987 Opera House heist

Theft of jewels in Bombay, India January 2018 January 2018 1987 Opera House heist yes 1987 03 19 2:15 pm IST Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri & Sons Jewellers, Opera House, Bombay, India 18 55 30 N 72 49 11 E inline,title TBZ Opera House robbery Jewellery and cash worth 2.3 to 3.5 million stolen On 19 March 1987, a group posing as Central Bureau of Investigation officers executed a fake raid on the Opera House branch of Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri & Sons Jewellers in Bombay (present-day Mumbai), Maharashtra, India. The raid was led by an unknown man who had assembled the group by inviting the candidates for fake recruitment interview. The unknown man disappeared with the spoils of the raid. The case remains unsolved. Heist The person posing as Mon Singh2017 theft, police still in the dark:Goss from Mumbai's underbelly http://archive.mid-day.com/news/2010/may/090510-tribhuvandas-bhimji-zaveri-robbery-1987-police-still-clueless.htm 9 May 2010 Mumbai Midday 4 February 2014 23 March 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20140323232023/http://archive.mid-day.com/news/2010/may/090510-tribhuvandas-bhimji-zaveri-robbery-1987-police-still-clueless.htm dead or Mohan SinghDoctor Vikram Story of unsolved opera house burglary in Mumbai, Rs 30-L heist amused everyone by its slick execution The Economic Times https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/story-of-unsolved-opera-house-burglary-in-mumbai-rs-30-l-heist-amused-everyone-by-its-slick-execution/articleshow/18619056.cms 2023-01-22 had placed a classified advertisement in the 17 March 1987 issue of The Times of India, asking for "Dynamic Graduates for Intelligence Officers Post and Security Officers Post". Applicants were told to report to the hotel Taj Intercontinental between 10 am and 5 pm the next day. He rented an office at Mittal Towers in Nariman Point to interview the candidates. Singh selected at least 26 candidates and asked them to report to the Taj the following day and were briefed about the 'mock raid' by Singh. On 19 March, they arrived at the Opera House branch of Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri & Sons Jewellers around 2:15 pm. Singh introduced himself to the owner, Pratap Zaveri, and produced a 'search warrant'. He ordered the owners to turn off CCTV cameras and surrender a licensed revolver held on the premises. Singh and the fake contingent of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officers did not allow any phone calls and took samples of ornaments for assessment of the quality of the gold. Singh picked 'samples' of jewellery and had them sealed in polybags. Cash was also collected. After 45 minutes Singh asked two men to put the briefcases in the bus. He asked others to keep watch on the shop and left in the bus to 'supervise' another raid. After about an hour, the owners called the Bombay Police. Investigation Police investigation revealed that Singh booked room number 415 at the Taj on 17 March and he put an advertisement in the newspaper. Police found that he reached the hotel after leaving the jewellery shop and hired a taxi from there. The taxi dropped him at Vile Parle where he hired an auto.Swami Parthasarathi 1987-04-15 Conman in CBI garb loots Bombay's leading jewellers Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/crime-stories/story/19870415-conman-in-cbi-garb-loots-bombays-leading-jewellers-tribhovandas-bhimji-zaveri-798743-1987-04-14 2023-01-22 India Today He was last seen there and there was no trail. The police put out a nationwide alert. They sent a team to Kerala as his hotel record showed that he hailed from Trivandrum. A person named George Augustine Fernandes was arrested there but it was later found that he was not involved. They also sent a team to Dubai but no headway was reported. According to 1987 report, the cash of 3.75 l and the jewellery worth about 20 l was looted. Other reports place the heist amount ranging from 30 lakh to 35 l 1987. The case remains unsolved.Mumbai cops still clueless about a 1987 theft https://www.ndtv.com/cities/mumbai-cops-still-clueless-about-a-1987-theft-417485 2023-01-22 NDTV.com A year before, in October 1986, a similar advertisement was published in The Times of India and about 150 candidates had appeared at the hotel Taj for interview. The CBI had received the tip but the interviewer did not appear. The event was considered as a "dress rehearsal". Popular culture Kalikkalam - A 1990 Malayalam film that had an inspired heist sequence in a jewellery store introducing the lead character played by Mammootty . Khel - A 1992 Hindi film had a small heist sequence inspired by this incident. Special 26 - A 2013 Hindi film, directed by Neeraj Pandey, is based on the heist. It was remade in 2018 Tamil film Thaanaa Serndha Koottam.http://www.financialexpress.com/entertainment/thaana-serntha-kootam-box-office-collection-day-1-suriya-starrer-takes-an-impressive-start-earns-this-much/1013180/ Thaana Serntha Kootam box office collection day 1: Suriya starrer takes an impressive start, earns this much 13 January 2018 The Financial Express 16 January 2018 en-US The Sialkot Saga - A book by Ashwin Sanghi has referenced the heist.Sanghi Ashwin 2016 The Sailkot Saga Westland Ltd. 978-93-86036 Ashwin Sanghi References Category:1987 crimes in India Category:Crime in Mumbai Category:History of Mumbai (1947–present) Category:Robberies in India Category:Unsolved crimes in India Category:1980s in Mumbai