Police said the group dressed up as deities such as Goddess Kali and Lord Shiva and approached people waiting at traffic signals or walking along busy roads, seeking alms. While engaging targets in conversation and appealing to religious sentiments, members of the group allegedly stole wallets and mobile phones.The arrests were made following leads that emerged during the interrogation of two other accused — Mohammad Shahnawaz and Mohammad Samir — who were arrested from the Park Street area in connection with a mobile phone theft case registered at Girish Park Police Station.During questioning, investigators received specific inputs that led them to the four men operating under religious disguises. Acting on the information, a team tracked them down in Hastings and detained them.Preliminary investigation suggests that the group was not operating in Kolkata alone but carried out similar thefts in other cities using the same modus operandi.Police said that further investigation is underway to determine the full extent of the network and whether more individuals are involved. The cops are also examining the possible inter-city links and prior cases that may be connected to the accused.
