PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE /Dehradun
Dehradun police have arrested four members of an interstate gang including two women, for allegedly stealing gold chains during a Bhagwat Katha in Patelnagar. The arrests were made on Haridwar Bypass Road on Thursday and police recovered three stolen chains and Rs 10,000 in cash from the accused. Police said that the gang allegedly targeted women attending religious programmes.
The arrested accused have been identified as Ajay Singh, Gurpreet Singh, Harjinder Kaur alias Rani and Pooja Kaur alias Ladi.
The thefts were reported on August 10 during a Bhagwat Katha at a hotel on GMS Road. Four women allegedly lost their chains and mangalsutras during the event. Police registered three separate theft cases after receiving complaints.
The Dehradun senior superintendent of police Pramendra Dobal said that the accused are from Patiala, Punjab and are part of the Samana gang. “The gang used social media and YouTube to find information about Bhagwat Kathas in different places. The members then attended the programmes as devotees and took part in Bhajans and Kirtans,” he said.
Dobal said the women members of the gang targeted other women during the religious gatherings. They allegedly stole chains when they found an opportunity. Other gang members waited outside in a car and helped them escape.
Police also recovered a chain cutting cutter and a car allegedly used in the crime. The investigation is continuing to identify their involvement in other similar theft cases, police said.
