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Man disguised as devotee steals gold ring on Bengaluru's Church Street, claims, 'Ring will reach god'
Bengaluru man posing as devotee steals gold ring worth ₹4.5 lakh. He was arrested by the police later and recovered the ring.
In a recent incident on Bengaluru's Church Street, a man posed as a devotee of a saint allegedly snatched a gold ring worth ₹4.5 lakh from a 40-year-old man after being denied a donation, reported The Times of India. The suspect pretended to swallow the ring before fleeing but was later apprehended by the police.
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According to the report, the victim is a resident of Malleswaram and works in the finance department of a private company. He lodged a complaint with the Cubbon Park police regarding the theft.
The incident occurred between 11:15 am and 11:30 am on January 10 when the victim was conversing with a colleague in Church Street. The accused, Dileep Salaar, who was dressed in a knee-length gown, adorned with multiple malas, and carried a jolige (satchel) along with a postcard-sized photograph of a saint approcahed the man and asked for donations in the saint's name. He declined, explaining he had no money.
However, Dileep grabbed victim's shirt and checked if he had any cash. When heresisted, Dileep seized his right hand and, during the scuffle, managed to steal his gold ring. Upon confrontation, Dileep pretended to have swallowed the ring, assuring Pulkith not to panic. A quick check of Dileep's mouth and hands revealed nothing. Claiming the ring had ascended to God, Dileep threatened that even if his throat were slit, the ring would not be recovered, and he fled the scene.
Police tracked down Dileep on Residency Road the following Saturday. An officer revealed that Dileep hails from Gujarat and habitually begs in the guise of a devotee while his family sells balloons and toys at traffic signals. Contrary to his claim, Dileep had concealed the ring in his jolige. Authorities successfully recovered the ring, which featured an emerald stone valued at ₹3.5 lakh, with the gold band worth around ₹1 lakh.
A case has been filed against Dileep under Section 304 (snatching) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
