Cops pose as pilgrims, bust theft gang in Varanasi; 16 held

The gang members, who had been living in the guest house, were allegedly involved in stealing jewellery, purses, luggage and mobile phones from tourists and pilgrims in Varanasi

A police team posed as pilgrims and tourists busted an interstate gang of thieves and arrested 16 of its members from a paying guest house in the Lahartara area of Varanasi, police said on Monday.

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The gang members, who had been living in the guest house, were allegedly involved in stealing jewellery, purses, luggage and mobile phones from tourists and pilgrims in Varanasi, said T Saravanan, deputy commissioner of police (crime).

Among the arrested were 13 women and 3 men. The men were identified as Logeswaran, a resident of Kutur, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu; Satyasheelan, a resident of Gandhi Nagar, Tiruchirappalli; and Raju Naidu, a resident of Balikata Bandil, Hubli, West Bengal. The 13 women were identified as Renu Bano, Savita Mudalya, Rekha Swamy, Chanchal Swamy, Sudha Mudalya, Manju Swamy, Shakeela Mudalya, Munni Verma, Babli Rao, Shanta Swamy, Goindi, Jayanti Singh and Mari Rao—all residents of Chinchura in Hubli, West Bengal, police said.

Six yellow metal chains, two silver anklets, three mobile phones, six chain cutters, and ₹1,00,400 in cash were recovered from their possession. The total value of the recovered items is estimated at ₹10 lakh.

Four police teams were deployed to investigate the thefts, including one team disguised as pilgrims and another in plain clothes.

Police teams led by assistant commissioner of police Dashashwamedh, Atul Anjan Tripathi, reviewed footage from over 120 CCTV cameras, including cameras installed along the Kanwariya routes.

The investigation led officers to a guest house in Lahartara, where the gang was staying. A police team conducted a raid at the location and arrested the accused.

To avoid suspicion, gang members would often argue in public to make it appear they were strangers. They would then disperse into the crowd and steal purses, chains, and cash from tourists and pilgrims, police said.

During interrogation, the accused revealed they had also visited Kashi during Maha Kumbh. They specifically targeted tourists from South India, Maharashtra, Kolkata and other states. The gang operated around Ganga ghats and major temples and preferred staying in guest houses to avoid detection. They were active mainly during months when the city experienced heavy tourist footfall.

They were wanted in at least three cases of theft, and several cases had already been registered against them, police added.