Jagran correspondent, Bhagalpur. : If children have a gold locket or chakti (locket) with Gods and Goddesses strung on a thread around their neck, then one has to be careful while going out of the house. After the skyrocketing price of gold, the activity of the gang that cuts gold and silver lockets and discs around the necks of children has increased these days.
Thieves have made children an easy target and have started cutting lockets and discs. A good price is also available for selling it secretly. While there were 13 incidents of cutting of lockets in the year 2024, 23 incidents have taken place so far in the year 2025-26 after the skyrocketing price of gold. They are on the lookout to bite the lockets around the necks of children in Khalifabag, Station Road, Baba Vriddheshwarnath Temple, Shiv Shikti Temple area and the busy market area of the city.
If a woman reached this area with children, the gang members would keep tugging at the necks of the children. If a locket or disc is seen around the child's neck, then the gang members are hovering near that child and encircling it. Then, seeing the opportunity, they quickly cut the string holding the locket with a special blade and run away.
The members of the gang are so clever that the one who cuts the locket puts the locket in the hands of another associate hovering with him so that even if he is caught, the cut locket cannot be found by the police or the public. The leader of the gang also very cleverly includes young youth in his gang so that the parents living with the victim do not have any scope for suspicion on their activities.
From the year 2024 till now, the accused arrested while cutting lockets and discs from the necks of children have been identified as members of the Maharajganj gang. The leader of the gang had included them in the gang by making him his base in the local area. The members of the Maharajganj gang keep a dark eye on the gold and silver lockets and discs around the necks of children who go out of the house with their parents.
The number of women and teenagers in the gang is said to be high, who cut the thread of the gold plate lying around the neck of the children with a blade and run away with the locket in a jiffy. To prevent such incidents, SSP Pramod Kumar Yadav has appointed DSP City I Ajay Kumar Chaudhary and DSP City II Rakesh Kumar under the supervision of City SP. The police team has got partial success.
Crimes have doubled so far in 2025-26 as compared to 2024.
In the year 2024, there were 13 incidents of gold and silver lockets and discs being cut from the necks of children. Whereas in 2025-26, the number of such incidents has doubled so far. The incidents of cutting of lockets have crossed 23 so far in the year 2025-26. Whereas in the year 2024, five accused were arrested. So far in the year 2025, 14 accused have been arrested. Which is almost double the number of incidents and arrests compared to the year 2024. Maximum arrests have been made from Jogsar, Ketwali and Tatarpur areas.
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