Swap And Steal: Hyderabad Man Arrested For Replacing Gold Rings With Fake

He would browse gold rings like any other customer, wait for a moment when the staff looked away, and quietly swap the originals with fake pieces, a pattern that ended once Hyderabad police identified him. 

The 30-year-old accused, Merugu Sagar, allegedly walked into showrooms posing as a buyer, examined the jewellery, and slipped in a rolled-gold ring from his pocket whenever the sales staff were distracted.

According to officials, Sagar targeted well-known jewellery outlets at CMR Shopping Mall and the Malabar Gold showroom in Hyderabad during January and February this year. At both places, he followed the same method, asking to see gold rings, diverting the salesperson's attention, and quickly replacing the original ring with a fake one.

In one CCTV clip obtained during the investigation, he is seen taking out a ring from his pocket and placing it on the ring holder while the saleswoman was busy.

#Watch | A 30-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly stealing gold rings from jewellery stores in Kukatpally, Hyderabad by replacing them with imitation pieces, police said on Thursday

According to officials at the Kukatpally Police Station, the accused, identified as… pic.twitter.com/VvLuAcC968

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The incidents took place on January 23 around 7:00 pm at CMR Mall and on February 2 around 8:00 pm at the Malabar showroom. Following complaints, police registered cases under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and began an investigation.

During the probe, teams analysed CCTV footage, collected technical evidence, and carried out field inquiries. "With coordinated efforts and technical analysis, the accused was identified and apprehended," Hyderabad's Kukatpally station house officer K Subbarao said.

Police later connected him to another similar case at a CMR showroom in Hyderabad's Panjagutta area, where a separate complaint had been filed earlier.

Officers recovered three gold rings weighing around 10 grams, 14 grams, and 8 grams from the accused, believed to be stolen from these incidents. The Kukatpally SHO said the arrest and recovery have helped close multiple cases, and further investigation is underway to check if Sagar was involved in more such offences.