Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
A 70-year-old woman was tricked and robbed by a scammer claiming to offer her Rs. 60,000 under the Senior Citizens Assistance Fund. The incident took place near Golwadi Phata around noon on Thursday.
The Scam
Mangala Modi (70, Naralibag) had visited a temple in Karnapura for darshan. After her visit, she was walking towards Panchwati around 10 am when a man on a motorcycle stopped her near the Vitthal-Rukmini temple. He told her that Rs. 60,000 had been approved for her under the Senior Citizens Assistance Fund and promised to hand over the money. The man convinced her to get on his motorcycle and took her to a secluded spot near Golwadi Square. There, he asked her to put her 1.5-tola mangalsutra into her purse, pretending to help her. As soon as she complied, he snatched her purse and sped away on his motorcycle.
Realizing she had been scammed, Mangala sought help from locals and contacted her family. She then filed a complaint at the Chavani Police Station. PSI Vikas Khatke is handling the investigation.
How did the robber know her son’s name?
The robber gained Mangala’s trust by mentioning her son Nitin’s name, claiming to know him. This made Mangala believe the man. However, it remains unclear how the scammer knew her son’s name, raising questions about how he obtained this information.
Another theft in a temple crowd
In a separate incident, Priyanka Chavan (33), a resident of N-5, went to Kala Ganpati temple in N-1 for Sankashti Chaturthi prayers with a friend. In the crowded temple, a thief stole a one-tola gold chain and a 3.5-gram mangalsutra from her neck. The MIDC Cidco police are investigating the theft.
Both incidents highlight the growing concern over scams and thefts targeting the elderly and individuals in crowded places.