It was a case of pushing their luck too far, for a couple engaged in serial theft. Posing as prospective customers, they had twice - in the months of June and August this year - managed to steal ornaments from a jewellery shop in the city. Their third attempt, however, was foiled by the alert jeweller.
The couple recently walked into Krishna Bankers and Jewellers in Seegehalli village of Kannamangala, around 1 pm. They asked the jeweller, Gowardhan, to show them some of the earrings on display.
Attention diverted
As Gowardhan was showing the couple some of the designs, the couple diverted his attention by asking for more choices. After seeing many designs, they told Gowardhan that they did not like any of them and left the shop.
Gowardhan became alert as he felt that the couple resembled a man and woman who had visited his shop in the past and had stolen jewellery. He ran after the couple and stopped them.
On checking the duo, he found a pair of earrings. Gowardhan grabbed the man and questioned him about the previous thefts even as the woman started fighting with the jeweller.
“I did not fight her or even argue with her. She tried to rescue her partner from me, but I called people for help and she escaped,” Gowardhan told DH. Though the man also tried to escape, Gowardhan and others managed to hold him till the police reached the spot and handed him over to the policemen.
A senior police officer from Kadugodi Police Station said the arrested man, Dadapeer, 34, is a resident of Madenahalli village in Chitradurga district. His female partner has been identified as Fathima; they both are residents of the same colony.
They are part of a gang which targets jewellers, the police said and added that efforts are on to nab Fathima and other members of the gang.
Blast from the past
Gowardhan told the police that the same couple had visited his shop, first in June at around 3 pm when he was out for lunch leaving his relative to manage the shop. They had had stolen a bracelet by diverting attention.
“It had come to our notice only when we were checking the stocks, after a couple of days. Their act was captured on the CCTV camera,” the 38-year-old jeweller said.
The couple visited the shop again, in August, between 2 pm and 3 pm, and managed to steal a pair of earrings.
According to Gowardhan, the couple visited the store post-noon to ensure that he was out and his employees are running the shop.
“I had saved the CCTV footage clippings on my phone. This time when they came to my shop, I suspected it was them. The CCTV clippings confirmed it,” he said.