The Mira Road police, along with their crime branch counterparts, arrested two more people including one of the king-pins for their involvement in the mass chain snatching cases which were reported from the venue where controversial godman Dhirendra Shastri had delivered religious discourses for two consecutive days on 18 and 19 March.
The event not only drew thousands of followers but also attracted the attention of a professional chain snatcher gang for whom the overcrowded venue in Mira Road turned out to be a virtual honeypot. The Mira Road police received complaints from 52 devotees- mostly women who became the target of chain snatchers.
Six women members of the gang were arrested earlier
Gold chains and mangalsutra weighing 490 grams and collectively valued at around R₹25 lakh were stolen during the two-day religious event. Six women members of the gang identified as Geeta Sardar (45), Hema Suraj (30), Setu Karambeer (20) Pinky Rahul (25), Reshma Bawariya (55) and Sonia Anil (22) had been earlier arrested by the Mira Road police.
Gold worth ₹20 lakh found in molted form
A police team led by API Hanif Shaikh and API Kailas Tokle conducted further investigations into the case and arrested the kingpin Arjun Virendra Singh (35) and his accomplice-Ranjit Kumar Lodhi (30). Based on the information provided by the duo, the police recovered stolen gold (411 grams) in molten form worth around ₹20 lakh, from their house in Rundh Ikran near Chiksana in Bharatpur tehsil of Rajasthan with the help of their local counterparts on Thursday.
“Expecting the huge crowd, the gang members had arrived here in 4 to 5 vehicles on the day of the event.” said an investigating officer. While all the eight accused are in police custody till 11, April, a hunt was on to nab their 7 to 8 more accomplices who are still at large with the remaining stolen booty.
Dressed Like Devotees!
Investigations revealed that the Rajasthan-based inter state gang is notorious for targeting people in crowded areas such as political gatherings, fairs and religious events. To avoid suspicion the members smartly dressed themselves and mingle in the crowd while raising slogans along with devotees. They would wait for the right opportunity to flick the chains and pass them on to their accomplices. The gang is involved in a spate of such cases across the country.
