The accused, travelling in a Delhi-registered car, were intercepted nearly 25 km away after fleeing Paryote village.
Doda, August 21 – In a shocking incident in Paryote village of Doda district, five men disguised as Sikh Sadhus attempted to dupe an elderly woman in the name of religious charity before snatching her gold chain worth ₹3 lakh.
At around 1:40 p.m. on August 21, four of the accused entered the house of Usha Devi, an elderly resident of Paryote, claiming they were collecting donations for a langar in Amritsar. When the woman offered them some cash, they refused to accept it and instead forcefully snatched the gold chain from her neck. The robbers allegedly pushed the victim aside before fleeing the spot in a car, where their fifth associate was waiting.
The gang was travelling in a Delhi-registered vehicle (DL 4CA P5895), which they used for the escape. As per the victims, Usha Devi and her son Navin Thakur, the elderly woman regained composure a few minutes later and informed her son, who immediately alerted the local police post.
Acting swiftly, the Doda Police initiated a chase and traced the vehicle as it attempted to escape towards the Srinagar National Highway. The gang managed to cross the Assar naka but was eventually intercepted and arrested in Baggar area, nearly 20–25 kilometres away from the crime scene.
Within a matter of hours, the police successfully apprehended all five accused and recovered the stolen chain. The timely operation has been widely appreciated by the local community.
Speaking to JK Darshan, Usha Devi and her son expressed their gratitude to the police for their swift response. “We thank Doda Police from the bottom of our hearts for catching the culprits so quickly,” Navin said.
However, the incident has left Usha Devi deeply shaken. Fighting back tears, she remarked, “All my life I believed sadhus to be a form of God and always offered them alms. But today my faith has been broken. I will never donate to anyone in disguise again.”
The case has raised concerns about criminal elements exploiting religious attire to deceive people, particularly vulnerable elderly citizens. Police officials said further investigation is underway to ascertain if the gang is linked to similar crimes in the region.