Mumbai: Bhandup Police arrested two elderly women for allegedly stealing gold ornaments worth Rs 1.27 lakh from a jewellery shop by posing as customers. The accused, identified as Usha Makale (60) and Leelabai Dhokale (62), were nabbed in the Newali Naka area of Kalyan after a detailed investigation and surveillance operation.
Details On The Gold Heist
According to police officials, the incident occurred nearly six weeks ago at 'Love Gold', a jewellery store owned by Manoj Jain in the Konkan Nagar locality of Bhandup. The two women entered the shop pretending to purchase jewellery and were accompanied by two young children to further lower suspicion. Engaging the shopkeeper in casual conversation and taking advantage of a momentary distraction, they managed to slip gold ornaments into their possession and quickly left the premises.
Soon after discovering the theft, Jain lodged a formal complaint at the Bhandup Police Station. Cops reviewed CCTV footage from the shop, which helped identify the suspects. Further inquiry revealed that the women were originally from Jalna district but had been residing in the Kalyan area in recent months.
Acting on specific information, Bhandup Police set a trap in Kalyan and successfully arrested both women, reported Lokmat Times. The investigation also uncovered that both Makale and Dhokale are habitual offenders with multiple cases of theft registered against them across Mumbai, Kalyan, Thane and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. The police confirmed that six to seven cases involving similar thefts had been filed against the duo at various police stations.
Accused Women Used Same Modus Operandi For Multiple Thefts
An official from Bhandup Police stated that the accused often used the same modus operandi, posing as customers and exploiting moments of distraction to carry out thefts. The involvement of children, police believe, was a deliberate strategy to appear less suspicious and create a diversion during the act.
The police are continuing their investigation to determine whether the two women were involved in other unsolved cases of jewellery theft in the city. They are also looking into whether they were part of a larger network or operated independently.
