Three women arrested for shoplifting at jewellery store

 Three women were handed over to the Basavanagudi police after the alert employees of a jewellery showroom nabbed them while they were trying to make away with gold ornaments. The women had stolen gold jewellery from the same showroom in November 2016.

The police said that the arrested are Kala (45), Latha (40) and Rathna (40), all residents of Kuppam. On Sunday afternoon, they went to Sri Sai Gold Palace in Basavanagudi, posing as customers.

One of the staff members at the showroom recognised them as they had previously made away with gold earrings. He alerted the manager and they examined the old CCTV footage which showed the women stealing the gold valuables. They concluded that they were the same women who had come back. They alerted the security guard and other personnel who nabbed the trio and locked them up in a room. They questioned the women, who confessed to have committed the crime, added the police.

“The showroom personnel alerted the Basavanagudi police and handed over the trio. During the interrogation, it was found that the women would visit the gold showroom and examine only earrings, finger rings and pendants. They would return after a week with duplicate ornaments. They would ask the staff to show them the ornaments and would manage to divert their attention. One of the women would slip the original gold ornament into the bag and replace it with the duplicate ornament, which they would have brought along. After a few minutes, they would tell the staff that they would get back to them and leave the place,” said a senior police officer.

As soon as the women committed the crime, they would leave for Kuppam by train and sell the ornaments on the same day, said the police.

On November 31, 2016, they had made away with gold ornaments weighing 20 grams from Sri Sai Gold Palace in a similar fashion and their act had been recorded on the CCTV camera. A complaint had been registered at the time. The Basavanagudi police are investigating if the women are also involved in similar such crimes.