An Indian national has been sentenced to more than two years in prison in Singapore after admitting to his involvement in the theft of a valuable diamond from a jewellery store in the Chinatown area. The stolen gemstone, valued at approximately SGD 200,000, or around ₹1.49 crore, was targeted in what authorities described as a premeditated operation involving a carefully prepared counterfeit replacement.

Mangroliya Manojkumar Kurjibhai, 41, was sentenced to two years, two months and two weeks in jail after pleading guilty to one count of theft. The case involved a 4.95-carat diamond that was allegedly removed from a jewellery store during a planned substitution operation.

The incident has drawn attention because of the level of preparation allegedly involved in the crime. According to details presented in court, the accused and his alleged accomplice had travelled to Singapore on social visit passes and were accused of entering the country with the intention of carrying out the theft. Their plan, however, came to an end before they could leave Singapore.

Diamond allegedly replaced with counterfeit stone

The incident took place at a jewellery store in Singapore’s Chinatown district. The two men reportedly entered the establishment on June 19, 2026, after arriving in Singapore through Changi Airport earlier that day.

According to the prosecution’s case, the pair had identified a 4.95-carat diamond as their target. Before travelling to Singapore, they allegedly arranged for a counterfeit diamond to be produced in Surat. The imitation stone was reportedly made to resemble the genuine gemstone, including matching specifications and its serial number.

The details surrounding how the accused allegedly obtained information about the original diamond before the theft were not fully explained in the available court proceedings.

The two men reportedly entered the jewellery store at around 3 pm and asked staff members to show them the expensive diamond. While one of them engaged a sales manager by asking to view other jewellery items, the other allegedly carried out the substitution.

The genuine diamond was reportedly removed and replaced with the counterfeit stone. The stolen gemstone was then concealed, with court proceedings indicating that it was initially hidden inside the accomplice’s mouth.

The entire operation was captured on the store’s closed-circuit television cameras, according to the prosecution’s account.

Store staff discover the diamond was fake

After the two men left the store, staff members reportedly examined the gemstone that had been left behind. The store manager used an optical gemstone identification device to check the diamond.

The examination revealed that the stone was not genuine.

The discovery immediately raised suspicions that the two men had deliberately carried out a substitution. By then, however, the suspects had already left the jewellery store and returned to their hotel.

Investigators later traced their movements as they attempted to leave Singapore. 

Suspects arrested at Changi Airport

Following the theft, the two men reportedly returned to their hotel and checked out earlier than originally planned. They then booked an evening flight to India.

Their attempt to leave the country was unsuccessful.

The pair were arrested at approximately 8.50 pm at Terminal 3 of Changi Airport while undergoing immigration procedures. The genuine diamond was subsequently recovered from the bag of the alleged accomplice.

Mangroliya was charged the following day and remained in police custody during the proceedings. The arrest brought the planned theft to an end before the suspects could leave Singapore with the valuable gemstone.

The case against his alleged accomplice, identified as 30-year-old Serasiya Milan Ramnikbhai, was scheduled for a separate hearing. His sentencing was expected to be addressed in subsequent court proceedings.

Prosecutors point to premeditated nature of crime

During the sentencing proceedings, prosecutors highlighted what they described as several aggravating circumstances.

A key factor was the alleged premeditated nature of the offence. The prosecution argued that the two men had not committed the theft spontaneously but had made preparations before carrying it out.

Their alleged decision to travel to Singapore specifically for the purpose of stealing the diamond was also presented as an aggravating factor.

The prosecution emphasised that the operation involved planning and preparation, including the reported creation of a counterfeit diamond designed to resemble the genuine gemstone. The court was told that the circumstances demonstrated a deliberate attempt to carry out the theft and replace the original diamond without immediately alerting the jewellery store.

The seriousness of the offence was also reflected in Singapore’s legal provisions concerning theft in a building. Such an offence can carry a maximum punishment of up to seven years’ imprisonment and a fine.

Accused seeks leniency

During the mitigation phase, Mangroliya, speaking through an interpreter, reportedly asked the court to consider a lighter sentence. He referred to his two children who remain in India.

Despite the plea for leniency, the court imposed a sentence of two years, two months and two weeks in prison after he admitted his role in the theft.

The sentence brings legal consequences for an operation that authorities say was planned in advance and executed inside a commercial jewellery establishment.

A failed attempt to leave Singapore

The case also highlights how the alleged theft quickly unravelled after the jewellery store discovered the counterfeit diamond.

The suspects had reportedly planned to leave Singapore after completing the substitution. Their decision to check out of their hotel and arrange an earlier flight to India, however, did not allow them to escape scrutiny.

The recovery of the genuine diamond at Changi Airport meant that the high-value gemstone was returned before it could be taken out of the country.

The incident further demonstrates the role of surveillance systems and gemstone verification technology in detecting sophisticated jewellery thefts. CCTV footage reportedly helped investigators establish how the alleged substitution was carried out, while the store’s identification equipment enabled staff to quickly determine that the replacement stone was counterfeit.

For the accused, what had allegedly been planned as a carefully organised theft ended with an arrest at the airport and a prison sentence in Singapore.

The case against the alleged accomplice remains a separate legal matter, while Mangroliya’s conviction and sentence mark the conclusion of proceedings against him over his admitted involvement in the diamond theft.