Bhind (Madhya Pradesh): A 'devrani-jethani' drama unfolded in Madhya Pradesh's Bhind, when a woman stole her elderly sister-in-law’s jewellery, and then pretended to be possessed by 'Lodi Mata' to escape police suspicion in Bhind.
Police have now arrested the woman on Wednesday, after about one and a half months and recovered gold and silver jewellery worth ₹2.5 lakh.
According to information, the unusual incident took place in Lawan village under Barohi police station in Madhya Pradesh.
The theft happened on 24 October. Jitendra Joshi and his wife Rakhi had come from Ahmedabad to celebrate Diwali at the home of Jitendra’s elder brother, Dharmendra. After Lakshmi Puja, Dharmendra’s wife, Preeti Joshi, kept her jewellery safely in the cupboard.
Seeing the jewellery, Rakhi became jealous. Late at night, when everyone was asleep, she took all the jewellery from the cupboard.
To make it look like an outsider had entered the house, she scattered items in the room and opened the main gate.
At around 4 AM, she herself raised an alarm saying that a theft had taken place.
The police and forensic team reached the spot but did not find fingerprints of any unknown person.
This made the police suspect someone inside the house. During questioning, Rakhi kept changing her statements. When the police questioned her strictly, she suddenly started pretending that “Lodi Mata” had entered her.
Due to superstition, her family supported her, so the police slowed the investigation and activated their local informer network.
After about a month, police got information that Rakhi was trying to sell the stolen jewellery to women in the village. She was called again for questioning, and this time she confessed to the crime.
Police recovered a mangalsutra, earrings, anklets, a waist chain and rings worth around ₹2.5 lakh.
Barohi Police Station in-charge Atul Bhadoria said that suspicion on Rakhi was already growing.
When they learned she was trying to sell old jewellery and get new ones made, the truth came out. She has been arrested and presented before the court.
