A 70-year-old retired man of Punawale went to a temple in Chinchwad to offer prayers on Feb 5. When he was in the temple around 3.30pm, an unknown man approached him posing as a “Naga Sadhu”. “According to the complainant, the fake sadhu gave him a Rs50 note and kept a ‘Rudraksha’ in it. He told the elderly man to close his fist. When the man opened it, he found a shell instead of ‘Rudraksha’ in the note,” an officer from the Chinchwad police said.He said the bogus sadhu then told the elderly man he had a divine power and could convert the victim’s gold ring into a diamond ring. Believing him, the elderly man removed his ring and followed a similar process. “This time, when he opened his fist, the bogus sadhu took the ring and kept it in his mouth. He told the victim to wait for some time. He diverted the man’s attention and fled with the ring worth Rs70,000. The victim later approached the police and lodged a complaint,” the officer said.Two men on a motorcycle diverted the attention of another 70-year-old retired man, and stole his two gold rings and a chain, collectively worth Rs 2.10 lakh, the next day in Ravet on Feb 6. The victim, a resident of Punawale, went to offer prayers in a temple.The duo on a motorcycle stopped him while he was returning home, gave him two notes of Rs500 denomination and requested him to donate Rs1,000 to the temple when he went there again. The duo then requested the victim to touch the notes to his gold chain and gold ring. When the victim removed his jewellery to fulfil their wish, the duo took them and feigned to keep those in a bag. They told the victim to hold the bag for a few minutes and fled.“When the elderly man opened the bag after some time, he did not find his chain and the ring. He then approached the police and lodged a complaint,” an officer from the Ravet police said.
