Special Correspondent
Rajgurunagar : In a bizarre case of overconfidence, a woman who stole gold jewellery worth ₹2.5 lakh from her friend was caught months later — after she wore the same stolen ornaments and posted photos on WhatsApp Status. The Khed Police have arrested the accused based on the photographic evidence.
The arrested woman has been identified as Sheetal Amol Wayadande (33), a resident of Padalwadi, Rajgurunagar, originally from Vadgaon Haveli, Bhimkund, Satara. She has confessed to stealing jewellery from her friend’s home, police said.
According to the complaint filed by Poonam Satyawan Aadak (36), a resident of Arya Residency, Padalwadi Road, Thigalsthal, Rajgurunagar — in 2021, Sheetal Wayadande was living as a tenant on the upper floor of Poonam’s house. The two women developed a close friendship, and Sheetal had free access to Poonam’s house.
Poonam had stored her gold jewellery — including a mangalsutra, necklace, earrings, rings, her mother-in-law’s traditional ornaments, and other valuable items — in a steel container inside her cupboard. Sheetal had seen where the jewellery was kept.
After a few months, Sheetal and her husband moved to a nearby building. Despite shifting, Sheetal continued to visit Poonam’s house frequently. On 28 August 2024, ahead of a family wedding, Poonam went to retrieve the jewellery from her cupboard — only to find it missing. A thorough search and inquiry among family members yielded no clues.
When questioned, Sheetal flatly denied any involvement and accused Poonam of falsely blaming her. In order to avoid defaming anyone close, Poonam chose not to file a police complaint at the time.
However, in May 2025, Poonam happened to see a WhatsApp status uploaded by Sheetal’s sister — featuring Sheetal and her sister wearing the same missing jewellery. Recognizing her stolen ornaments, Poonam immediately approached the Khed Police with evidence.
The police treated the WhatsApp photos as primary evidence and detained Sheetal Wayadande for questioning. She confessed to the theft during interrogation.
Khed Police have taken custody of Sheetal and are in the process of recovering the stolen items. The case highlights the importance of discretion and trust within personal relationships, and also shows how social media can inadvertently expose crimes.
