Soon after the security cover was relaxed after the Assembly elections, thieves masquerading as the police struck again, conning two senior citizens of their gold here Thursday.
Two impostors, introducing themselves as police officers approached Rajamma (60) on the Prasanna theatre road while she was returning from her morning walk.
They told her that security has been stepped up following the murder of a schoolteacher and advised her to keep her ornaments safe to avoid undue attention.
Trusting them, Ms. Rajamma removed her gold chain and pair of bangles worth over Rs. 2 lakh. The duo helped her wrap the valuables in a piece of paper and scooted after handing over the packet.
When Ms. Rajamma returned home, she found the packet contained only pebbles.
Another duping
An hour later, Shantha Kumari (70) was robbed of her valuables by two men using a similar modus operandi in Ejipura.
Ms. Kumari was returning home after buying breakfast for her family from a nearby hotel when the two approached her and narrated the same story, advising her to keep her valuables safe.
They helped her pack her gold chain in a piece of paper and left in a hurry. Too late Ms. Kumari discovered that her gold chain worth Rs. 1.5 lakh was missing.
Police suspect the same gang operated in both instances.
According to them, two gangs are notorious for such crimes — one from Bidar and the other from Ramji Nagar town in Tamil Nadu.
Though the police have managed to nab a few gang members, the incidents continue unabated. The gang members operate infrequently and leave the city immediately once a job is done.
They carry on their operations in other cities and return after a while, a senior police officer said, adding that they usually target unwary senior citizens.
