LUCKNOW: In an unusual revelation of criminal ingenuity, the Lucknow Police busted a six-member all-women gang that employed a peculiar tactic to steal gold ornaments from fellow female passengers. The gang would pretend to puke during a ride, creating panic and confusion, and then take advantage of the distraction to snatch valuable items. The arrested women were identified as Jyoti, Mala, Archana, and Neetu (all residents of Chandauli), Lakshmi of Mau, and Vandana of Ghazipur. Acting on CCTV footage and inputs from informants, a police team from Gomtinagar police station nabbed the accused near Virat Crossing. The team recovered three gold chains, one gold locket threaded in a black pearl necklace, and Rs 13,000 in cash from their possession.DCP, East Zone, Shashank Singh, said the women worked in close coordination and followed a calculated pattern. “One of them would engage the target in conversation during the ride, while another pretended to feel nauseous and began ‘vomiting’ into a dupatta or polythene bag — a deliberate act meant to disgust and distract co-passengers. As other riders turned away or tried to help, the third woman would swiftly unhook the victim’s chain or mangalsutra, passing it to another gang member who concealed it. The group would then get off hurriedly at the next stop, feigning embarrassment and sickness, disappearing before the victim realised the theft,” he said.Their first strike took place on Oct 27, when Kiran, a resident of Vibhav Khand, was travelling in an auto to Patrakarpuram. Two women and a girl boarded at Kathauta crossing and, between Hanuman Mandir and Virat crossing, enacted the vomiting drama to steal Kiran’s mangalsutra. Two days later, the gang repeated the same ruse. Nisha Verma, a resident of Viram Khand, was travelling in an e-rickshaw from Chinhat to Husadia crossing when a girl sitting beside her pretended to vomit. As Nisha turned away in discomfort, the other two women snatched her 15–16 gram gold chain. The e-rickshaw driver, suspected to be in connivance with the gang, sped away.Both the victims later filed complaints at Gomtinagar police station. The accused are being interrogated for similar thefts in Lucknow, Mau, and Chandauli, and police believe they are part of a larger network operating across UP.
