Two arrested for jewellery theft

NT Correspondent
Bengaluru

Basaveshwar Nagar police have nabbed two people, including a woman, involved in theft cases and recovered valuables including gold ornaments worth Rs 7.55 lakh from them. The police said that Sajjad Mohammed Ali, 38, and Vaithegi, 40, have been arrested in the case.

Preliminary investigations by the police revealed that Ali, who was in the catering business, got introduced to Vaithegi, who was working as a house-keeping in one of the convention halls.
The duo started stealing valuables including jewellery from people, especially women, police said. Explaining their modus operandi, the police said, “Ali would steal the valuables from the public by diverting their attention and would later hand them over to Vaithegi, who in turn would pledge the items with the private financer for instant cash,” police said.

During the interrogation, it was revealed that the accused would lure his victims by claiming that he owned a jewellery shop and would help them purchase jewellery at a cheaper price.
The two were arrested based on a complaint filed on May 21. As per the complaint, a man pretending to be a customer visited the complainant’s grocery shop to purchase dry fruits.

While talking to the complainant, the man admired the gold chain she was wearing and asked if he could take a picture of it. As soon as he got the chain, he absconded along with it, the complaint stated.
By arresting the duo, the cops claimed to have solved eight theft cases filed at different police stations in the city.