Two women from Punjab have been arrested for allegedly stealing jewellery worth around Rs 50 lakh, including 40 grams of gold and 250 grams of silver, from a local resident in Shimla. The accused have been identified as Chandravati (38), a resident of Patiala, and Rekha (40), a resident of Rajpura in Punjab.
According to the police, the incident came to light on June 25 when Khub Ram, a resident of Shimla district, filed a complaint alleging that two unidentified women had stolen jewellery from his bag while he was shopping in Lower Bazaar.
Acting on the complaint, the police registered a case under Section 303(2) (theft) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and launched an investigation. Special teams were formed on the directions of Shimla Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Gaurav Singh. Investigators examined the CCTV footage from the crime scene and surrounding areas, along with the technical evidence.
With assistance from the cyber cell, the police identified the accused and traced the vehicle allegedly used in the crime. Shimla Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mehar Panwar said the accused attempted to evade arrest by moving through multiple locations, including Narkanda, Luhri, Kingal, Kullu, Mandi and Bilaspur, before entering Punjab. “As soon as they were identified, a police team was sent to Punjab, where both accused were arrested. The stolen jewellery has been recovered from the accused,” she said.
She added that both women were produced in court and remanded to police custody till July 2. “The police are continuing to investigate all angles of the case and are also verifying whether the accused have any prior criminal record,” she said.
