PNS | DEHRADUN
Two members of an interstate gang of women thieves from Madhya Pradesh were caught by Dehradun police for allegedly stealing Rs 90,000 cash from a woman’s purse in the Vikasnagar area. According to the police, the duo have committed a number of thefts and other crimes in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and other States too.
On March 7, Vikasnagar resident Baby Singh lodged a police complaint stating that on March 5 she had withdrawn Rs one lakh from SBI Herbertpur, deposited Rs 10,000 out of it in another account at PNB in Dhakrani. The remaining Rs 90,000 was stolen by someone after cutting her purse while she was in the bank. Starting the investigation, the police team checked the CCTV footage from the banks and nearby areas. According to the police, a footage showed that two suspicious women entered the SBI when the victim was there and saw her withdrawing and counting the cash before exiting and waiting for her to come out.
The two trailed her at a distance to the PNB and were seen entering the bank behind her. The CCTV footage showed one of the two suspects standing alongside the complainant in the bank and doing something with her right hand, after which the duo was seen swiftly exiting the bank. Further investigation revealed that the two women were from Rajgarh district in MP and had carried out similar crimes in other States too. Further investigation followed by checks resulted in the two being apprehended by the police on the route from Tyagi farmhouse to Haripur. They identified themselves as Renu Bai (40) and Kali Bai (32). During questioning, they confessed to having cut a woman’s purse and stealing cash from it in the bank. The police recovered Rs 62,200 cash, two surgical blades and other items from them.
According to the police, during questioning, the accused said that 10 to 12 women from the village leave for other States where they lodge in Dharmshalas. Working in teams of two to three, they visit crowded places about 60 to 70 kilometres from their lodgings wearing decent clothes and artificial jewellery. They visit banks, public functions like marriages and religious functions where they target lone women for theft. They had arrived two days ago from Saharanpur in Vikasnagar where they saw the complainant withdrawing money from the bank. Later, they used a sharp blade to cut the woman’s purse and steal cash from it. They had returned to Saharanpur after the theft and had returned to Vikasnagar on Saturday to carry out another theft but were caught by the police.
