The breakthrough came following a complaint lodged on January 13, when two women devotees—Munnidevi Sharma and Uma Devi Rajawat—were targeted at Dandrauwa Dham temple in the Shatabdi Puram area around 11 am. The victims reported that unidentified women simultaneously snatched their gold chains and fled the spot, triggering alarm among worshippers and prompting a detailed investigation.

Taking cognisance of the incident, Senior Superintendent of Police Dharmveer Singh entrusted the probe to Maharajpura Police Station in-charge, Inspector Yashwant Goyal. Given the public nature of the crime and the growing concern over safety at religious places, a special team was constituted to trace the offenders.

Investigators began by scrutinising CCTV footage installed near the temple premises. The visuals revealed two women moving among devotees, discreetly touching necklaces to assess their value before committing the theft. Moments later, they were seen fleeing in an auto-rickshaw parked nearby. The vehicle was tracked heading towards the Jalalpur area.

Police then analysed footage from nearly 60 CCTV cameras along the suspected escape route. The systematic review led to the identification of the auto-rickshaw’s registration number, enabling the team to trace its owner and location. Acting on this lead, police raided Jalalpur and arrested all three accused within four days of the incident.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Ranjita alias Victoria, wife of Devu Ran; Gunja alias Bhindi, wife of Prakash Rao; and auto-rickshaw driver Harikishan Lodhi, son of Narayan Lodhi. Police seized the auto-rickshaw used in the crimes and recovered the stolen gold chains from their possession. Investigators said one of the accused women had been residing in Jalalpur for several years.

During interrogation, the accused confessed to targeting women devotees at temples, exploiting crowded conditions to snatch chains before making a quick escape in the auto-rickshaw. They also admitted involvement in a similar chain snatching incident reported earlier in the Padav police station area.

SSP Dharmveer Singh commended the Maharajpura police team for the swift and coordinated action, noting that the arrests would help curb such organised street crimes. Police said further investigation is underway to ascertain whether the gang was involved in additional cases in the city or neighbouring areas.