BHIWANDI: Kongaon police have arrested two women for allegedly stealing gold ornaments from the purse of a 67-year-old woman while she was praying at a temple in Bhiwandi. Police have recovered gold ornaments weighing around 14 tolas from them.
The arrested women have been identified as Reshma Santosh Kasbe (34) and Sakhu Kisan Kamble (65), both residents of the Milind Nagar area on Gauripada Road in Kalyan West.
According to police, the incident took place at around 4 pm on November 10. The complainant, Rita Raichand Jivani (67), had gone to the Sukharam Khatu Shyam Temple in Thakracha Pada, Bhiwandi, to offer prayers. While she was praying, the gold ornaments kept in her purse were stolen.
A case was registered at Kongaon police station under Sections 303(2) (theft) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 2) Dr Pawan Bansode said that during the investigation, police went through footage from around 100 to 105 CCTV cameras and used technical surveillance to identify the suspects. Based on these leads, the two women were traced and arrested from Milind Nagar in Kalyan West.
Police said the accused allegedly targeted elderly women, taking advantage of crowded places to steal gold ornaments and cash.
The operation was carried out by a Kongaon police team under the guidance of Thane Police Commissioner Ashutosh Dumbre, DCP Dr Pawan Bansode and Assistant Commissioner of Police Sachin Sangle.