Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)

Udupi, Nov 9: Unknown thieves succeeded in making a visitor to Manipal believe their story and part with 26 grams of gold ornaments he was wearing. Balakrishna Subraya Mahale from Koteshwar near Kundapur, who had visited Manipal on Saturday November 7, was relieved of his gold ornaments weighing 26 grams.

Mahale had visited a private hospital at Manipal on Saturday. When he was returning towards the bus stand, two motor bike-borne strangers came to him and introduced themselves as policemen working for Central Bureau of Investigation. They informed Mahale that there had been disturbances in the town the previous night, and that it was safer to remove ornaments he was wearing, and keep them inside his pocket after wrapping them in a kerchief.

When Balakrishna Mahale trusted them and removed a 22 grams gold chain and a ring weighing four grams he was wearing, they spread out a small kerchief, into which Mahale placed his ornaments. The strangers folded the kerchief, handed it over to Mahale, and decamped in their two-wheeler. Balakrishna, who reached his home, found to his dismay that the kerchief was empty. He filed a complaint in Manipal poilce station against the unknown cheats. Value of ornaments lost by him has been estimated to be Rs 65,000.