Saffron Robes, Ash: Thieves Pose As Seers, Snatch Delhi Woman's Rings

At a traffic signal in Delhi, three men in saffron clothes, ash on their foreheads and a spiritual calm in their eyes approached a taxi. Before the woman inside the vehicle could realise it, the gold and diamond rings on her fingers were gone.

The complainant was a commuting in a taxi from Moti Nagar to Connaught Place on August 1. At the Shadipur flyover traffic signal, she was approached by the three men, to whom she gave Rs 200. Moments later, one of them snatched the rings on her fingers and disappeared into the traffic.

An FIR was registered and police began scanning CCTV footage, which later revealed that the three men escaped from the spot in an auto-rickshaw. The auto was registered in the name of a man identified as Vinod Kamat, who was the first to be caught in the case. His interrogation led the police to his accomplices Birju and Kabir, who were later arrested too.

Finally, police arrested Gurcharan Singh, a goldsmith who had purchased the stolen rings for Rs 26,000. He admitted to melting the gold and removing 61 tiny diamonds, all of which have been recovered.

The thieves' attire and makeup kit were also seized. Police is currently searching for a fifth accused identified as Amar.