Himesh song helped crack Diamond heist
TBZ thief blew up Rs 2 lakh under two hours at a dance bar insisting his song play over and over again, and thus alerted a police informer
ippy Vankani and Rashmi Rajput
One of Himesh Reshammiya's nasal gems, Humko Deewana Kar Gaye, turned out to be the vital link that led cops to the sensational Rs 4.5 crore diamond theft from the home of Pratap Zaveri who owns Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri at Opera House.
On November 8, 29-year-old Divesh Borse, a carpenter who had been working at Angel, the Grant Road residence of Pratap Zaveri, stole sachets of diamonds estimated to be worth Rs 4.5 crore from a secret drawer in one of the cupboards. (Borse's father, also a carpenter, had originally made the cupboard for the Zaveris. See full story on page 4).
Borse decided to spend some of his loot on his lifelong ambition: having fun at a dance bar. To this end, on November 13, after selling some of the diamonds, he went to Parkside Bar at Borivali which, despite the ban, continues to operate as a covert dance bar. Over two evenings Borse spent Rs 50,000 each, eyeing a particular singer in the orchestra. When he went again on the 15th, he found her sizing him up and giving him the glad eye, all to the tune of Reshammiya's Humko Deewana Kar Gaye.
Borse was soon drunk and entranced and convinced that this was his lucky refrain. He began insisting that the orchestra play the song over and over again. When other patrons began objecting Borse started showering Rs 1000 notes all over and boasted that since he could pay more than any other patron, his song would have to be played. Under two hours Borse showered Rs 2 lakh on the bar staff, indiscriminately shoving notes, say cops. "He suggested that that particular song be played frequently and was spending money for that," says a nonchalant Vinod Singh, owner of Park Side.
Among the other disgruntled patrons was a man who was also a police informer. Intrigued by Borse's spending spree, he alerted the Crime Branch office. Meera Borwankar, along with other officers from the crime branch, with diamonds from the robbery
Crime Branch officials, who arrived within hours found Borse who was with two of his friends, carrying diamonds worth Rs 30 lakh on his person. Upon further questioning, Borse was soon singing. He told the cops how he stole the diamonds while the Zaveri family had gone for a trip to Lonavala. While the Zaveris remained clueless about the robbery, Borse had already started spending the money at bars.
"Clearly, his extravagant tipping alerted others at the bar," says PSI Ravindra Patil who picked up Borse and his friends
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Bade Achhe Lagte Hain
CID
