Two alleged members of an organised gang preying on Kedarnath pilgrims have been arrested, with stolen belongings recovered, highlighting the vulnerability of devotees during crowded pilgrimages.
Key Points
- Two alleged members of an organised gang stealing from Kedarnath pilgrims have been arrested.
- The suspects were caught with stolen purses, ATM cards, and identification belonging to pilgrims from Gujarat.
- The accused confessed to operating as part of a larger gang targeting crowded temple queues.
- Police recovered cash and identification documents from the arrested individuals.
- The gang used a fractured arm as a disguise to avoid suspicion from devotees.
Police on Saturday arrested two alleged members of an organised gang that stole cash and belongings of pilgrims by taking advantage of the crowd in Kedarnath, officials said.
Pilgrims' Belongings Recovered
Several purses, handbags, ATM cards, and driving licences belonging to devotees from Gujarat were recovered from the possession of the accused, they said.
The police team stationed at Kedarnath spotted two men in the Ghoraparav area whose activities it found suspicious. Police said they were allegedly planning more thefts.
Rs 5,450 cash along with several identification documents and voter ID cards were recovered from them.
Accused Identified and Charged
The arrested accused were identified as Rajan Kumar and Sunny Kumar, both residents of Ludhiana in Punjab. A case has been registered against them at Sonprayag police station under Sections 317(2), 112, and 313 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Gang's Modus Operandi
During questioning, the accused revealed that they operate as an organised gang in crowded temple queues to extract valuables from the bags or pockets of pilgrims, according to police.
Sunny Kumar has a fractured arm which the gang used as a ruse to avoid suspicion from devotees, police said.
The accused said other gang members immediately fled the spot with the stolen items to avoid detection, they said.
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