Used to fraudulently replace gold studs with brass
Sunil Chadha
Shimla: A gang of seasoned con women from Haryana and Rajasthan has been busted for targeting small-town jewellery shops in Himachal Pradesh, with six suspects arrested for their involvement in two daring thefts in Shimla district’s Kumarsain.
A case (FIR No. 36/2025) was registered at the Kumarsain police station after a shop owner, Paras Ram Shah (45), a resident of Narkanda, alleged that on June 12 around 2 pm, four unknown women entered his jewellery shop and asked to see gold ornaments.
While he was busy displaying nose rings, the women allegedly swapped nine gold studs with brass lookalikes and left without buying anything, making an excuse.
The deception came to light shortly afterwards when another jewellery shop nearby — Maa Hateshwari Jewellers, owned by Bihari Sahu from Darbhanga, Bihar — reported a similar modus operandi. In that incident, 10 gold studs were cleverly replaced with fake brass ones.
Acting swiftly, the Shimla police tracked and arrested four members of the gang on June 13, exposing a well-coordinated theft ring targeting unsuspecting jewellers in smaller towns.
The arrested suspects are:
1. Bateri (70), wife of Kartar Singh, a resident of Ward 12, Ratia, Fatehabad, Haryana
2. Soni (50), daughter of Kartar Singh, same address as above
3. Rajbai (38), wife of Laxmi Chand, Arora Colony, Ratia, Fatehabad, Haryana
4. Kiran (52), wife of Aniruddh, Udyog Vihar, Ganganagar, Rajasthan
Police suspect this gang has been targeting jewellery shops across northern India, particularly in quieter hill towns where security systems may be more relaxed.
“The investigation is ongoing, and we are looking into whether they have committed similar crimes in other parts of Himachal and neighboring states,” said the Superintendent of Police, Shimla, in a statement.
