David Douglas Diamonds & Jewelry
January 13th, 2016
Mumbai police authorities went bananas last week to retrieve a 25-gram gold neck chain from the belly of a thief.

Closeup on bunch of bananas

Gopi R. Ghaware, 25, didn't know how bad his week was about to become when he decided to swipe a gold chain from the neck of a woman at a local fish market. The woman screamed, Ghaware fled, and an enraged crowd of shoppers took off after him.

Within a short time, Ghaware had been tackled and roughed up by the peeved patrons. Authorities arrested the perpetrator and brought him to a local hospital for treatment of minor injuries. During the melee, the gold chain had disappeared, but a routine X-ray taken at the hospital revealed something suspicious in Ghaware's stomach.

bananas3

Ghaware, who had no previous criminal record, confessed to police that he had, in fact, swallowed the chain. A second X-ray confirmed that the chain was still in his system, according to NDTV.

This is when his nightmare went from bad to worse.

bananas2

On Thursday night, police authorities stood watch as they forced the suspect to consume 48 bananas — a process that lasted until the wee hours of the morning. An unpeeled banana weighs approximately 4 ounces, which means that Ghaware consumed 192 ounces, or 12 pounds of bananas.

In a video distributed to news agencies, the perpetrator is shown sitting cross-legged in a cell as he eats banana after banana.

By early on Friday, the banana laxative had done its job and the chain successfully passed from Ghaware's system. But the humiliating saga continued when he was ordered to clean and disinfect the chain.

bananas4

According to UPI, the gold chain was returned to its rightful owner, who promptly brought it to a local jeweler. There, she exchanged it for a similar, pristine version.

Ghaware was placed under arrest and is awaiting his day in court.

Credits: ABP News/YouTube video screenshots; Banana shot via Bigstockphoto.com.