Daijiworld Media Network – Puttur (MS)

Puttur, Dec 22: City police have arrested three women in connection with two separate theft incidents reported in the city.

The accused have been identified as Vidya, a resident of Neerumarga in Mangaluru, and Jyoti and Yashoda, both residents of Rajajinagar, Bengaluru.

In the first incident on December 13, a woman posing as a customer visited a jewelry shop on Court Road and stole three gold rings worth Rs 77,000. Shop owner Shivaprasad Bhat lodged a complaint with the police after reviewing CCTV footage on December 19. Vidya, the accused, was apprehended based on the evidence.

In the second incident on December 19, two women diverted the attention of Saraswati from Goltamajalu village at the KSRTC bus stand in Puttur and stole gold ornaments worth Rs 25,000 from her bag. Saraswati filed a complaint, and the police arrested Jyoti and Yashoda.

All three women have been presented before the court and remanded to judicial custody.

Further investigation revealed Vidya’s modus operandi. After stealing three gold rings from the jewelry shop on Court Road, she attempted to rob another shop on the same road but was caught red-handed by the shop owner. Upon interrogation, she confessed to the earlier theft.

Vidya’s method involved placing fake gold rings in the shop's tray while stealing real ones. She would try on rings under the pretense of purchasing and discreetly swap the real rings with fakes she brought with her. The theft came to light when the shop owner discovered fake rings in the display tray during an inventory check and reviewed the CCTV footage.