In a major breakthrough, the Karnal police have apprehended notorious thief Jayesh Ravji Sejpal, bringing an end to his extensive crime spree spanning over two decades. Sejpal, hailing from Gujarat, was apprehended in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, on May 12, following his latest theft at a luxury hotel in Karnal where he stole jewelry and cash amounting to lakhs from a woman guest’s room. The arrest has shed light on Sejpal’s audacious criminal career, which began in the year 2000 when he pilfered a laptop from a guest at the prestigious Taj Hotel in Mumbai. Subsequently, the 52-year-old perpetrator continued his criminal activities, targeting 23 more guests in renowned hotels across various cities in India. His chosen victims were predominantly guests of three to seven-star luxury establishments located in cities such as Mumbai, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Udaipur, Jalandhar, Jaipur, Agra, Hyderabad, Vishakhapatnam, Raipur, Lucknow, and Nagpur. During interrogation, Karnal Superintendent of Police Shashank Kumar Sawan revealed that Sejpal had previously worked as a catering employee at the Taj Hotel in Mumbai, where he executed his initial theft.
Sejpal’s modus operandi involved carefully observing visitors at luxury hotels during his travels. He would then obtain contact details of the hotels and pose as a prospective party or wedding planner, gathering information about upcoming events. Sejpal specifically targeted rooms occupied by female guests, meticulously noting their departure times for parties. To gain access to their rooms, he would approach hotel staff with a fabricated story about leaving his key inside and request assistance in opening the room. Once inside, Sejpal would swiftly abscond with valuable items, including jewelry and cash. Remarkably, it was discovered that Sejpal had been previously arrested on multiple occasions; however, he managed to secure bail and even completed sentences for some of his crimes.
Upon his release from jail, he resumed his thieving activities, targeting new victims. Even after the theft in Karnal, Sejpal continued his criminal exploits at another hotel in Nagpur, Maharashtra. The recovered loot from Sejpal’s rented accommodation in Maharashtra, totaling 150 grams of jewelry and ₹3,800 in cash, serves as evidence of his lucrative criminal career. The stolen jewelry was reportedly melted down and sold in the market, resulting in losses amounting to several crores of rupees. Sejpal now faces charges under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including theft, trespassing, and fraud. The swift action by the Karnal police has put an end to the reign of this serial thief, providing relief to numerous victims and hotel guests across the country.