Sopore, Aug 26: Police in Sopore have claimed a major breakthrough in a series of gold ornament theft and snatching cases reported in and around the town, particularly those involving elderly women, with the recovery of seven pairs of gold earrings and the arrest of two persons, including an alleged receiver of stolen property.
In a statement, the investigation began following the registration of FIR No. 192/2026 under Section 309(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Police Station Sopore. The case was registered after a woman from Seelo alleged that an unidentified man took her towards Amargarh, threatened her with a knife and forcibly took away her gold earrings.
Police said a detailed investigation involving CCTV footage analysis, technical inputs, field verification and examination of suspects led to the identification and arrest of Ishfaq Ahmad Bhat, son of Abdul Majeed Bhat, a resident of Haripora, Langate, Handwara.
The stolen earrings in the case were subsequently recovered at his instance, police said.
During further questioning, investigators reportedly found leads linking the accused to other similar cases, including FIR No. 207/2025 under Section 304(2) BNS and FIR No. 55/2026 under Sections 304(2) and 351(2) BNS, both registered at Police Station Sopore.
According to police, the accused allegedly followed a recurring modus operandi in which elderly and vulnerable women were approached on the pretext of helping them avail benefits under government welfare schemes.
After allegedly gaining their confidence, he would persuade the women to remove and hand over their gold ornaments before fleeing with the jewellery. In some cases, police said, force or intimidation was also allegedly used.
During subsequent recovery proceedings, seven pairs of gold earrings were recovered. Police said some of the ornaments have been linked to registered cases, while the remaining jewellery has been seized under relevant legal provisions for identification and verification.
The investigation also resulted in the arrest of Sayed Ahmed Khan, son of Munna Khan, a goldsmith and resident of Sangrama, for his alleged role as a receiver of stolen property. Police said his role and possible links to other similar incidents are being investigated.
Further investigation is underway to determine whether the accused were involved in additional cases and to identify the rightful owners of the remaining recovered ornaments.
