Hyderabad: In a broad-daylight incident in Velijarla village, Ranga Reddy district, two men were caught after they tricked an older woman and stole her gold under the pretext of cleaning it.
According to locals, the suspects approached the woman, identified as Baggari Chennamma, at her house in Farooqnagar mandal. They offered to clean her jewellery and first polished her silver anklets. Impressed, she trusted them with her 1.5 tola gold chain.
The men pretended to clean the gold using turmeric water. They acted as if they boiled it on a stove, then placed the chain in a tiffin box, claiming it had turned white and needed sealing.
Gold theft in Ranga Reddy foiled by alert villagers
Soon after, the woman began to feel dizzy and realised something was wrong. Once she regained full awareness, she informed neighbours about the missing chain. Villagers quickly spread out and located two strangers near a T-point junction.
They found white powder and other suspicious items in the men’s bags. Acting on instinct, locals took them to the village panchayat and questioned them. The men confessed to the theft and led the villagers to the spot where they had hidden the ornaments.
The gold was recovered and both suspects were handed over to Shadnagar police after a brief scuffle. The incident stirred concern in the village but also earned praise for the swift and brave action taken by its residents. Police have started a formal investigation.
