30 thefts in 30 years: Two 'harmless' seniors, 62 and 58, held after morning heist in UP

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In a twist that defies the usual criminal profile, Moradabad police have arrested two men in their 60s for allegedly snatching a woman’s gold chain, uncovering a staggering trail of nearly 30 theft cases dating back to the 1990s, TOI reported.

Karamchand, 62, a retired plywood factory worker and Shravan Kumar, 58, both serial offenders from Haridwar, arrived in Moradabad on Friday and checked into a hotel in Budh Bazaar. After scouting the area, they targeted 50-year-old Anita Kaushik during her morning walk in Avantika Colony on Saturday, snatching her chain before fleeing on a scooter.

What made the duo stand out was their age. "Since they weren’t locals, tracking them was a challenge," admitted SP (City) Ranvijay Singh, as reported by TOI. Police teams pored over CCTV footage across Moradabad and extended their search to Haridwar, eventually identifying the pair. The stolen chain, their scooter and a firearm were recovered.

Investigations revealed a long criminal history: Karamchand has 29 cases against him since 1997, including a 2019 arrest by Muzaffarnagar police, while Shravan has 12. Most of their victims were elderly.

"They have been sent to jail. A cash reward of Rs 10,000 has been given to the team that cracked the case," said Singh, as reported by TOI.