Employer finds stolen gold jewels on house help’s WhatsApp display pic

THE police on Thursday booked a domestic help for allegedly stealing gold ornaments worth ₹4.5 lakh from her employer’s house. The alleged theft came to light after the homemaker noticed on a WhatsApp display picture that her domestic help’s sister was wearing her jewellery.

The 59-year-old woman identified as Supriya Joshi who stays in the Kushalganga complex at SV road, Malad West along with her husband Sunil, 62, and daughter Priyanka, 30, had employed a full-time domestic help who stayed with them.

Joshi said that the domestic help, Sunita Pepalode, 23, is a resident of Dombivili, who used to cook and clean their house after her daughter and husband left for the day. She and Pepalode are left alone at the house.

On January 5, when Priyanka asked her to give her gold chain and pendant to her, Joshi opened her wooden locker in her cupboard to find the gold jewellery missing. Even after searching the house but could not find it.

“Since I am alone with Pepalode every day, I asked her if she had taken it or seen it somewhere, she denied each time,” said Joshi. Even after not finding the gold ornaments worth ₹45,000, Joshi had not filed an FIR assuming she must have misplaced it.

On February 2, Pepalode told Joshi that she had a marriage in her family and had to quit her job and return to Dombivili. Even after quitting Pepalode was in touch with Joshi through WhatsApp and social media. “Being a youngster, Pepalode was also active on social media and since Joshi was attached to her, she had been following her posts,” said a police officer from Malad police station.

On Wednesday evening, while Joshi was browsing through WhatsApp, she came across a photo of Pepalode along with her younger sister on her WhatsApp status. Joshi zoomed in on the photo and was shocked to see the gold chain and pendant belonging to Priyanka, worn by Pepalode’s sister.

Joshi showed the photo to Priyanka who confirmed that the jewellery belonged to her, “Joshi said that she called Pepalode several times after seeing the photo but could not get any response from her.

Joshi then approached the Malad police and registered an FIR against Pepalode under section 381 of the Indian Penal Code for theft by a servant. “We have booked Pepalode and are tracing her location through her mobile phone,” said the police officer.