Knowledge (XXG)

1987 Opera House heist

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189:(CBI) officers did not allow any phone calls and took samples of ornaments for assessment of the quality of the gold. Singh picked 'samples' of jewellery and had them sealed in polybags. Cash was also collected. After 45 minutes Singh asked two men to put the briefcases in the bus. He asked others to keep watch on the shop and left in the bus to 'supervise' another raid. After about an hour, the owners called the 201:
Police investigation revealed that Singh booked room number 415 at the Taj on 17 March and he put an advertisement in the newspaper. Police found that he reached the hotel after leaving the jewellery shop and hired a taxi from there. The taxi dropped him at
152:, India. The raid was led by an unknown man who had assembled the group by inviting the candidates for fake recruitment interview. The unknown man disappeared with the spoils of the raid. The case remains unsolved. 378: 463: 413: 334: 177:
On 19 March, they arrived at the Opera House branch of Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri & Sons Jewellers around 2:15 pm. Singh introduced himself to the owner, Pratap Zaveri, and produced a '
174:
to interview the candidates. Singh selected at least 26 candidates and asked them to report to the Taj the following day and were briefed about the 'mock raid' by Singh.
533: 342: 214:. A person named George Augustine Fernandes was arrested there but it was later found that he was not involved. They also sent a team to 166:, asking for "Dynamic Graduates for Intelligence Officers Post and Security Officers Post". Applicants were told to report to the hotel 543: 206:
where he hired an auto. He was last seen there and there was no trail. The police put out a nationwide alert. They sent a team to
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The CBI had received the tip but the interviewer did not appear. The event was considered as a "dress rehearsal".
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The person posing as Mon Singh or Mohan Singh had placed a classified advertisement in the 17 March 1987 issue of
548: 528: 464:"Thaana Serntha Kootam box office collection day 1: Suriya starrer takes an impressive start, earns this much" 293: 379:"Story of unsolved opera house burglary in Mumbai, Rs 30-L heist amused everyone by its slick execution" 46: 185:
cameras and surrender a licensed revolver held on the premises. Singh and the fake contingent of
162: 497: 288: 178: 517: 489: 304: 284: 190: 171: 414:"Conman in CBI garb loots Bombay's leading jewellers Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri" 271: 250:
4.4 crore or US$ 520,000 in 2023). The case has remained unsolved.
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between 10 am and 5 pm the next day. He rented an office at Mittal Towers in
94: 81: 235:(US$ 24,000) was looted. Other reports place the heist amount ranging from 275:- A 1992 Hindi film had a small heist sequence inspired by this incident. 253:
A year before, in October 1986, a similar advertisement was published in
207: 145: 64: 335:"2017 theft, police still in the dark:Goss from Mumbai's underbelly" 257:
and about 150 candidates had appeared at the hotel Taj for interview
215: 182: 118: 110: 71: 52: 41: 26: 439:"Mumbai cops still clueless about a 1987 theft" 287:, is based on the heist. It was remade in 2018 210:as his hotel record showed that he hailed from 8: 21: 228:(US$ 4,500) and the jewellery worth about 20: 317: 412:Swami, Parthasarathi (15 April 1987). 221:According to 1987 report, the cash of 181:'. He ordered the owners to turn off 136:officers executed a fake raid on the 7: 407: 405: 403: 401: 399: 372: 370: 368: 366: 364: 362: 360: 341:. Mumbai. 9 May 2010. Archived from 329: 327: 325: 323: 321: 132:On 19 March 1987, a group posing as 14: 283:- A 2013 Hindi film, directed by 534:History of Mumbai (1947–present) 16:Theft of jewels in Bombay, India 187:Central Bureau of Investigation 134:Central Bureau of Investigation 1: 218:but no headway was reported. 565: 142:Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri 57:Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri 307:has referenced the heist. 126:2.3 to 3.5 million stolen 122:Jewellery and cash worth 544:Unsolved crimes in India 144:& Sons Jewellers in 294:Thaanaa Serndha Koottam 114:TBZ Opera House robbery 30:19 March 1987 148:(present-day Mumbai), 59:& Sons Jewellers, 22:1987 Opera House heist 468:The Financial Express 95:18.92500°N 72.81972°E 524:1987 crimes in India 168:Taj Intercontinental 91: /  23: 539:Robberies in India 383:The Economic Times 255:The Times of India 163:The Times of India 100:18.92500; 72.81972 470:. 13 January 2018 130: 129: 556: 508: 507: 496:. Westland Ltd. 494:The Sailkot Saga 486: 480: 479: 477: 475: 460: 454: 453: 451: 449: 435: 429: 428: 426: 424: 409: 394: 393: 391: 389: 377:Doctor, Vikram. 374: 355: 354: 352: 350: 345:on 23 March 2014 331: 301:The Sialkot Saga 249: 245: 243: 238: 234: 232: 227: 225: 125: 106: 105: 103: 102: 101: 96: 92: 89: 88: 87: 84: 37: 35: 24: 564: 563: 559: 558: 557: 555: 554: 553: 549:1980s in Mumbai 529:Crime in Mumbai 514: 513: 512: 511: 504: 488: 487: 483: 473: 471: 462: 461: 457: 447: 445: 437: 436: 432: 422: 420: 411: 410: 397: 387: 385: 376: 375: 358: 348: 346: 333: 332: 319: 314: 267: 265:Popular culture 247: 246:(equivalent to 241: 240: 236: 230: 229: 223: 222: 199: 158: 123: 99: 97: 93: 90: 85: 82: 80: 78: 77: 33: 31: 17: 12: 11: 5: 562: 560: 552: 551: 546: 541: 536: 531: 526: 516: 515: 510: 509: 502: 490:Sanghi, Ashwin 481: 455: 430: 395: 356: 316: 315: 313: 310: 309: 308: 298: 276: 266: 263: 198: 195: 179:search warrant 157: 154: 128: 127: 120: 116: 115: 112: 108: 107: 75: 69: 68: 54: 50: 49: 43: 39: 38: 28: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 561: 550: 547: 545: 542: 540: 537: 535: 532: 530: 527: 525: 522: 521: 519: 505: 499: 495: 491: 485: 482: 469: 465: 459: 456: 444: 440: 434: 431: 419: 415: 408: 406: 404: 402: 400: 396: 384: 380: 373: 371: 369: 367: 365: 363: 361: 357: 344: 340: 336: 330: 328: 326: 324: 322: 318: 311: 306: 305:Ashwin Sanghi 302: 299: 296: 295: 290: 286: 285:Neeraj Pandey 282: 281: 277: 274: 273: 269: 268: 264: 262: 260: 256: 251: 219: 217: 213: 209: 205: 197:Investigation 196: 194: 192: 191:Bombay Police 188: 184: 180: 175: 173: 172:Nariman Point 169: 165: 164: 155: 153: 151: 147: 143: 139: 135: 121: 117: 113: 111:Also known as 109: 104: 76: 74: 70: 66: 62: 58: 55: 51: 48: 44: 40: 29: 25: 19: 503:978-93-86036 493: 484: 472:. Retrieved 467: 458: 446:. Retrieved 442: 433: 421:. Retrieved 417: 386:. Retrieved 382: 347:. Retrieved 343:the original 338: 303:- A book by 300: 292: 278: 270: 258: 254: 252: 220: 200: 176: 161: 159: 131: 18: 418:India Today 150:Maharashtra 138:Opera House 98: / 73:Coordinates 61:Opera House 518:Categories 474:16 January 448:22 January 423:22 January 388:22 January 349:4 February 312:References 280:Special 26 212:Trivandrum 204:Vile Parle 140:branch of 86:72°49′11″E 83:18°55′30″N 34:1987-03-19 226:3.75 lakh 492:(2016). 443:NDTV.com 237:₹30 lakh 53:Location 45:2:15 pm 244:35 lakh 233:20 lakh 119:Outcome 67:, India 32: ( 500:  339:Midday 208:Kerala 146:Bombay 65:Bombay 291:film 289:Tamil 216:Dubai 156:Heist 498:ISBN 476:2018 450:2023 425:2023 390:2023 351:2014 272:Khel 183:CCTV 42:Time 27:Date 239:to 47:IST 520:: 466:. 441:. 416:. 398:^ 381:. 359:^ 337:. 320:^ 193:. 63:, 506:. 478:. 452:. 427:. 392:. 353:. 297:. 259:. 248:₹ 242:₹ 231:₹ 224:₹ 124:₹ 36:)

Index

IST
Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri
Opera House
Bombay
Coordinates
18°55′30″N 72°49′11″E / 18.92500°N 72.81972°E / 18.92500; 72.81972
Central Bureau of Investigation
Opera House
Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri
Bombay
Maharashtra
The Times of India
Taj Intercontinental
Nariman Point
search warrant
CCTV
Central Bureau of Investigation
Bombay Police
Vile Parle
Kerala
Trivandrum
Dubai
Khel
Special 26
Neeraj Pandey
Tamil
Thaanaa Serndha Koottam
Ashwin Sanghi

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