Gang of women tricksters on the prowl, police clueless
JALANDHAR: A gang of women who have been targeting elderly women in villages looting them of their jewellery since 2018, struck for the first time in the district this year. The gang, whose members remain unidentified, looted Paramjeet Kaur, 58, of Balwant Enclave, Chandigarh bypass, Phagwara, on Thursday evening. The car used was a white Swift Dzire. The police registered a case on Friday, saying that two women and a man were involved.
Last year, the gang had carried out six similar loots and is active only in villages along the Jalandhar-Ludhiana highway, especially Phagwara.
DEVIOUS MODUS OPERANDI
The gang’s modus operandi is devious. The members roam around villages in car with a man as the driver, doing a recce to zero-in on their victims, who is always an elderly woman. On the day of the crime, they stop their car near the identified targeted woman, usually outside her house, shop or street and engage her in a friendly conversation, claiming to be acquaintances or relatives.
“I was standing outside my house when a car approached me. The woman on the front seat told me that I am her relative and we had recently met at a dera. She invited me to sit in the car. When I went to the rear of the vehicle, a man and another woman pushed me inside and threw something on my face. I was then pushed out of the car. Only later did I realise that my 50gm gold chain with the locket was missing,” Paramjeet, the victim of Thursday’s loot, said.
According to other victims of the gang, at some time, one of the women invited them to sit inside the car for a ride.
Later, one of them gave a hug to the victim on some pretext, when the jewellery was removed, with a sleight of hand.
Finally, the victim, who remains unware of the loot, was dropped back to her house, within a matter of minutes. It is only hours later that the victim realises that she has been looted.
Similar cases have been reported from Ramamandi Chowk; Goraya town and from near the Phillaur-Phagwara bus stand. In Jalandhar, they have been reported from Model House and Preet Nagar localities.
“This gang generally loots elderly women and is known to strike every two months. It is active on the Jalandhar-Ludhiana highway as they can get away easily on this stretch without being caught on CCTV,” a senior police officer, who is investigating previous cases, told HT.
Sadar police assistant sub-inspector Magat Gupta said a case had been registered under sections 420 (cheating ) and 379-B (snatching and use of force) of the IPC.
LOOTED 58-YEAR-OLD WOMAN OF GOLD CHAIN IN PHAGWARA ON THURSDAY; GANG ACTIVE IN JALANDHAR TOO SINCE 2018, HAD STRUCK 6 TIMES IN 2019; TARGETS ONLY ELDERLY WOMEN