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Chandigarh: Gang conning women of gold by posing as sages busted
Police said a secret tip-off was received that the accused were roaming in Chandigarh to sell the stolen jewellery, and were also hunting for new victims in the Sector 45 and Industrial Area
The District Crime Cell (DCC) of Chandigarh Police has arrested five members of a gang involved in conning women of gold ornaments and cash by posing as sages.
With the arrests, police have solved two cases registered at the Manimajra and Sector 34 police stations.
The first case was registered on the complaint of Sunita, 40, a resident of Sector 20, Panchkula.
On July 23, 2025, she had visited the Manimajra market for shopping. Around 3.50 pm, while she was walking from the bus stand towards Old Ropar Road, two men approached her, engaged her in conversation and allegedly took away her gold earrings.
In the case, Om Kumari, a resident of Sector 45, alleged that three persons approached her and engaged her in conversation, before making off with her ornaments, including her mangalsutra, earrings and a finger ring.
Police said a secret tip-off was received that the accused were roaming in Chandigarh to sell the stolen jewellery, and were also hunting for new victims in the Sector 45 and Industrial Area.
Acting swiftly, two police teams were formed. Based on sustained surveillance and reliable inputs, three accused — Hasmudin, Zahid and Alam — were apprehended from Sector 45-C in connection with the Sector 34 case. Two more accused — Jilani and Ramjaan — were arrested near the cremation ground in the Industrial Area in connection with the Manimajra case on January 14.
Police recovered a gold mangalsutra, two pairs of gold earrings and a gold ring from the accused.
According to police, the gang would approach solitary women and strike up a conversation about their family to gain their confidence. To create fear and confusion, they performed a fake magical act by igniting sodium using saliva, making it appear as a supernatural phenomenon.
They then convinced the victims to remove their jewellery and place it on the ground, instructing them to return home without looking back, after which the accused fled with the valuables.
Police said further investigation was underway to ascertain the gang’s involvement in similar incidents in Chandigarh and other areas.
