Meet Vihari Poddar, the Jewellery Queen of India and Singapore

Vihari Poddar is one of the famous businesswoman of Indian Corporate Sector. She is the Managing Director of the Singapore-based Vihari Jewels while  her husband Abhishek Poddar is the Director of Multi-Crore Siyaram Silk Mills.

Vihari Poddar caught by Revenue Authorities carrying undisclosed jewellery

Last week, Authorities of Customs and Revenue Intelligence caught her red handed at Mumbai Airport,  bringing in Diamond Jewellery worth Rs. 2.5 Crores without declaring, which amounts of Smuggling.

She landed at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport by Singapore Airlines flight (no SQ-426) around 9 pm on Tuesday, and was passing through the green channel without declaring the consignment that she was carrying on her body.

Initially officials found some diamond-studded gold jewellery in her luggage and upon search She was caught carrying  more jewellery in her undergarments.

Vihari has also  confessed making at least 10 international trips to smuggle gold and diamond jewellery to India.

As per reports, Custom officials carried out a search operation at her shops  (no F-18 and F-19)  in the Grand Hyatt hotel in Santa Cruz, Mumbai and recovered Rs 4 crore worth of jewels, which was illegally brought to India. The jewellery recovered from her shop has been placed under investigations and she has been asked to produce the records for them.

Vihari Sheth started her own Jewellery brand in 2007

She was later arrested on the charges on Smuggling and produced in the court where she collapsed a few minutes before the magistrate turned up and admitted to a local hospital. She has been remanded to 14-day judicial custody.

Vihari Sheth married Abhishek Poddar, Director of Siyaram Silk Mills on May 4, 2011. She holds a degree from Gemological Institute of America in California and had started Vihari Jewels at Singapore in 2007 with financial assistance from her Father, who also runs Diamond Business. Her stores are located in Mumbai at Grand Hyatt,  Far East Shopping Centre on Orchard Road and at  a high-profile shopping enclave in Singapore.

Vihari Sheth married Abhishek Poddar in May 2011

Vihari came to Page 3 last year when Vihari Jewels unveiled the 110-carat Yellow Dragon diamond at the Singapore Jewel Fest which is valued at between $11-15 million.

This is not the first time when Celebrities have been dragged by Customs to Court. In 2007 Dia Mirza was fined for carrying undisclosed jewels worth Rs 2 Lakhs at Mumbai Airport.

In 2009, Socialite Shefali Mittal was arrested for carrying undisclosed jewellery. In 2011, Authorities nabbed Minissha Lamba and Bipasha Basu carrying undeclared jewellery at Mumbai Airport.