Varanasi Airport Baggage Worker Arrested Over Jewellery Thefts; ₹7 Lakh Recovered, Police Say

Varanasi: A baggage-handling worker deployed at Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport in Babatpur has been arrested for allegedly stealing jewellery from passengers’ checked luggage. Phulpur police said ornaments valued at approximately ₹7 lakh were recovered in connection with two complaints filed in July.

The accused has been identified as 26-year-old Mukesh Patel, a resident of Ratanpur village under Badagaon police station in Varanasi. Police arrested him on August 9 near KPS Lawn Road in the Mangari area after receiving a tip-off.

Patel’s work at the airport involved moving passenger baggage towards the conveyor-belt system, giving him access to suitcases after they had moved out of their owners’ sight, according to police.

Two complaints led police to baggage-handling staff

The first case was reported by Shivam Singh, a resident of Sidhari in Azamgarh. Police said Singh travelled from Chandigarh to Varanasi via Delhi on July 15 on IndiGo flights 6E6179 and 6E6232. He later found that a mangalsutra and two pairs of earrings were missing from his blue trolley suitcase.

A second complaint was filed on July 19 by Archana Yadav, a resident of Mahmoorganj in Varanasi, after she travelled from Ahmedabad to Varanasi on IndiGo flight 6E6805. Yadav told police that a gold chain and silver anklets were missing when she checked her bag after reaching home.

With two similar complaints involving checked baggage arriving at Varanasi airport, investigators began examining the chain of people who had access to the luggage before it reached passengers.

Open zips and unlocked suitcases allegedly targeted

During questioning, police said Patel disclosed that he looked for bags whose zips were partly open or whose zipper pulls had not been secured with a lock. Investigators allege that he first accessed the blue trolley suitcase on July 15 and later targeted a brown bag that had no lock on its zip.

The alleged method allowed small, high-value items to be removed quickly while the luggage was being handled, with passengers discovering the loss only after collecting their bags or reaching home.

Police said the recovery included a chain, a mangalsutra, four earrings and ₹400 in cash. The jewellery was estimated to be worth around ₹7 lakh. The two theft cases were initially registered under Section 303(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Police said Section 317(2) was added following the recovery of the stolen property.

The operation was carried out by a Phulpur police team led by Babatpur outpost in-charge Sub-Inspector Vijay Kumar Kushwaha, along with Head Constable Anoop Rai and Constable Ajay Kumar.

The arrest has renewed concern over the security of checked luggage during ground handling. IndiGo’s baggage guidance advises passengers to keep jewellery, cash, important documents and other valuables in cabin baggage instead of checked luggage. Travellers who notice a broken lock, open zip or any sign of tampering should report it to airline staff in the arrival hall before leaving the baggage-claim area and retain their boarding pass and baggage tag.

The allegations against the accused are based on the police investigation and are yet to be tested in court.