Agartala, July 31: West Agartala Police have arrested a casual worker of IGM Hospital for allegedly stealing a gold chain worth approximately ₹1.54 lakh from the bag of a maternity patient admitted for delivery.
According to police, the complainant, Dharmendra Tripura, a resident of Manu SK Para in Dhalai district, had brought his wife to IGM Hospital on July 28 for delivery. As the patient was being shifted to the labour room, doctors instructed her to remove all ornaments before entering. She removed her 6.33-gram gold chain with a locket and kept it inside her bag.
Police said that a female casual worker accompanying the patient to the labour room allegedly took advantage of the situation. After the patient entered the labour room, the worker reportedly returned to the waiting area and stole the gold chain from the bag before leaving.
When the patient’s family later checked the bag, they found the chain missing. As they were occupied with the delivery and medical treatment, they filed a formal complaint at West Agartala Police Station on Friday morning.
Following the complaint, police registered a case and formed a team led by Sub-Inspector Ranjit Das, along with women police personnel, to trace the suspect. Acting on specific information, the team detained the accused near IGM Chowmuhani while she was on her way to the hospital.
During interrogation, police noticed inconsistencies in her statements. A subsequent search of her bag by women police personnel led to the recovery of the stolen gold chain with the locket.
Officer-in-Charge Sanjit Sen of West Agartala Police Station said the accused had allegedly brought the chain with the intention of selling it. The recovered ornament has an estimated market value of around ₹1.54 lakh.
The accused has been arrested, and the recovered chain has been seized as part of the investigation. She will be produced before the court, while further investigation into the case is underway.
