ROURKELA: Two fraudsters used religious acts to steal gold ornaments worth Rs 2.5 lakh from a middle-aged woman on Rourkela’s main road on Tuesday morning.
The incident, which occurred under Uditnagar police jurisdiction, was captured on CCTV cameras. The victim, Kiran Agarwal of Bisra Dahar Lane was walking to Shyam temple for Makar Sankranti celebrations when she was approached by the first conman who pretended to seek directions to a doctor’s office.
He then posed as a soothsayer and warned Agarwal about upcoming danger to her son. A second accomplice, pretending to be a stranger, joined him and participated in an act involving a water bottle and walking 51 steps to get rid of his problems.
Later, both convinced the woman that her gold jewellery consisting of a chain with a locket and a finger ring needed purification in Ganges water to avoid bringing misfortune to her family. They persuaded her to hand over the ornaments and walk 51 steps, assuring her of their trustworthiness. Upon her return, both men had disappeared with her jewellery.
Uditnagar police have registered a case and are analysing CCTV footage to identify and apprehend the suspects.