The City police have busted a gang comprising stoutly-built Muslim youths from Madhya Pradesh, who under the garb of civil police are looting gold ornaments, particularly from old and senior women during their morning and evening walks on deserted streets of the city.
Investigating into one such incident, a team of Cuttack police on Sunday arrested one Javed Ali and another Sadiq Ali from Singrauli district of Madhya Pradesh. Both were allegedly involved in craftily looting a gold chain from a 76-year-old woman of the city last month.
Police said the duo along with another accomplice stopped the woman during morning walk on May 13 near Jobra under the Malgodown police station and introducing themselves as civil policemen deployed in the area for patrolling, asked woman to remove her gold chain to avoid snatching.
“As the woman removed her chain, one of the trios helped her to wrap it in a piece of paper. But during this act the conman had exchanged the chain-containing paper wrapper with another, which the woman opened after reaching her home to find that it contained some broken glasses,” police said.
“The arrested two are being brought here on transit remand”, said city ADCP Trinath Patel. The senior cop said the gang is now active in several other cities of the State, including that of Bhubaneswar. He urged the senior citizens staying alone in their homes or going on morning and evening strolls, not to fall prey to such elements.