Mumbai: Sunburn festival bouncer held for stealing Rs 3 lakh gold bracelet

Vicky Jitendra Gaikwad, the accused bouncer. PIC/BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

What began as a night of music and dancing at the Sunburn Festival between December 19 and 21 at Sewri ended with a dramatic theft, and an even more dramatic attempt to hide the crime. A 24-year-old bouncer was arrested by Sewri police for allegedly stealing a gold bracelet worth R3 lakh from a doctor attending the festival. The bouncer later buried the jewellery in a pit outside the venue, fearing he would be caught.

The accused, Vicky Gaikwad, was working as a bouncer through a private contracting agency at the event. Police said he took advantage of the packed venue and the festive mood inside the VVIP Gold enclosure, where the doctor was enjoying the show with friends on December 21. According to investigators, while dancing, the doctor had removed the gold bracelet from his wrist and slipped it into his trouser pocket. However, when the event wrapped up late at night and he headed back to his hotel, the bracelet - along with Rs 30,000 in cash - was missing.

A complaint was immediately lodged at Sewri police station, triggering a probe led by Assistant Police Inspector Snehal Singh Khule. CCTV footage from the venue showed several bouncers positioned close to the complainant during the event, but Gaikwad gave contradictory answers while being questioned, raising suspicion. After sustained interrogation, he confessed.

Police said after stealing the bracelet, Gaikwad panicked, stepped outside the venue and dug a small pit in the soil, burying the bracelet under mud to avoid being caught during checks. He had planned to retrieve it later. Acting on Gaikwad's disclosure, the police recovered the 60-gram gold bracelet and arrested him. Investigations are being carried out to verify whether the Gaikwad has been involved in other similar thefts.