Two women arrested for chain-snatching during Udaipur Rath Yatra

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, July 18, 2026

Two women have been arrested and nine stolen gold chains worth around Rs 22 lakh recovered following a series of chain-snatching incidents during the Rath Yatra festival in Tripura's Gomati district, police said on Saturday.

The thefts took place on Friday during the annual Rath Yatra at the historic Jagannath Bari in Udaipur, which drew a large number of devotees.

Police said several women complained that their gold chains had been snatched amid the heavy rush. Three complaints were received near the fairground before the chariot procession began, while more complaints emerged as the procession moved towards Mahadev Bari.

Following the complaints, police launched a search operation along the procession route. A team led by RK Pur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Sanjib Laskar and Sub-Inspector Biplab Das detained two women from the Mahadev Bari area.

The arrested women were identified as Sabitri Naidu (60) and Priya Das (45), both residents of the Borabazar locality in Guwahati, Assam, police said.

During their search, police recovered nine gold chains weighing around 10 bhori. The seized ornaments are estimated to be worth about Rs 22 lakh in the market, officials said, adding that efforts are continuing to trace the remaining stolen jewellery.

In-charge Superintendent of Police for Gomati and Sepahijala districts Bijoy Debbarma said the preliminary investigation indicated that the accused were part of a larger gang involved in thefts at crowded public gatherings.

He said some other suspected members of the group managed to flee during the operation, and police have launched a search to apprehend them.

The two women were produced before a local court on Saturday. The court remanded them to judicial custody till July 20, police added.

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