The duo uses a burqa and a fake pistol to execute the heist plan
NEW DELHI – Apparently taking a cue from the 2005 blockbuster Bunty and Babli, a 25-year-old woman, Payal, and her 27-year-old accomplice, Rahul, allegedly carried out a daring robbery at a jewellery shop in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya while Payal was disguised in a burqa.
The film Bunty and Babli portrays two small-town misfits who turn to a life of fraud and become an infamous duo, eventually attracting the attention of a hard-edged police commissioner.
In the Ayodhya case, the accused were apprehended late Thursday night following a swift investigation. The incident occurred in the Kothi Bazaar area, within the Rudauli police station limits. Police stated that Rahul had procured a fake pistol and a burqa to execute the plan.
On Thursday afternoon, Payal entered the jewellery shop wearing the burqa and carrying a backpack, while Rahul waited nearby on a motorcycle. Posing as a customer, Payal asked to see a gold necklace and chain. While engaging the shop owner and staff, she created a distraction by repeatedly requesting refreshments. Seizing this opportunity, she grabbed the jewellery items. When the shopkeeper attempted to stop her, she allegedly pulled out a fake pistol, threatened him, and fled.
Payal escaped on Rahul’s motorcycle, which had been waiting nearby. The stolen jewellery, a 26-gram gold necklace and chain, was valued at approximately ₹3.6 lakh. The entire incident was captured on multiple CCTV cameras installed at the shop. Crucially, the motorcycle’s registration number was also recorded. Police scanned over 60 CCTV cameras to identify the vehicle, leading to the arrest of both suspects near the Ayodhya-Barabanki border late Thursday night.
The shop owner, Mahesh, who runs a jewellery store in Kothi Bazaar, reported the incident promptly, leading to quick police action. A case has been registered, and further investigation is underway.
The pair, police said, aimed to fund a home purchase.
The stolen items have been recovered.
