Rs 9.8 Million Jewelry Disappears from British Couple’s Villa in Péreybère

In a troubling incident at a villa in Péreybère, Mauritius, a British couple reported the disappearance of jewelry valued at Rs 9.8 million (approximately £200,000) from their home. The incident has led to the arrest of their butler, identified as 41-year-old Hitesh Urjoon, who is currently in police custody.

The Criminal Investigation Division (CID) of Grand-Baie is investigating allegations that Urjoon may be linked to multiple thefts at the couple’s residence, which they have been renting since January 2022.

During questioning by the CID, under the supervision of Assistant Commissioner of Police Ramkelawon, Urjoon chose to exercise his right to remain silent.

Additionally, a housemaid employed at the villa was also questioned; however, she denied any involvement in the alleged thefts and maintained that she was only present at the property when the couple was home. After an investigation, she was allowed to leave.

According to the complaint filed by the wife, the butler was the only person with unrestricted access to the house and was familiar with the security codes for the safes.

She expressed her complete trust in Urjoon, who was responsible for overseeing the other household staff and knew all the access codes.

In her statement to the police, the 54-year-old British woman detailed a series of jewelry thefts that had occurred since they began renting the villa.

During the early months of their stay, she reported the loss of a diamond-encrusted gold chain and a pair of Chopard earrings, collectively valued at Rs 200,000. The jewelry went missing in late 2022.

In February 2023, she discovered that a gold chain worth Rs 40,000, which she had left on a bar in the living room, had also vanished.

More alarming was the disappearance of a gold ring valued at Rs 50,000, which she found missing in December 2023 while organizing the house with Urjoon; this ring held sentimental value as it was her father’s wedding band.

In July 2024, the woman noted the loss of a Rolex watch estimated at Rs 1.5 million.

This was followed by the disappearance of a pair of gold diamond-studded earrings worth Rs 8 million a month later, on August 8.

These earrings had been kept in her handbag, and after a thorough search, she found the jewelry box in one of the rooms, but its contents were missing.

She explained to the authorities that she had not stored these items in the safe because it was already full.

During a police visit to the villa on Friday, forensic teams collected fingerprint samples.

Notably, the internal areas of the house were not equipped with surveillance cameras, and no signs of forced entry were detected.

Source: Defi Media