The Jubilee Hills Police arrested four women from the Pardhi community in Madhya Pradesh for their alleged involvement in sandalwood theft across Jubilee Hills and Madhuranagar.
Arrests, including Bai Bai Pardhi, Shahnaj Bai, Nimat Bai and Madhuri Adivasi, are part of what the police have described as a larger, organized syndicate of at least 23 members, many of whom are still fleeing.
Jubilee’s Hills police officer said the gang was moving to Hyderabad three weeks ago and acting as a travel family selling brass. “This appearance was an intentional cover that avoided suspicion of theft, especially from the campus of the National Institute for the Micro Small and Medium-MSME (NI-MSME) in Yousufguda and other green patches in the city,” the officer said.
Police operations revealed that women and children were involved to gain public confidence and fly under the radar.
The wider net includes 19 others, all from various villages in the districts of Katni, Jabalpur and Virgin in Madya Pradesh. Most men and several women are now on the run, including individuals identified as pardhi derades, Sameer Pardhi, Dharm Pardhi and another of the same tribal community.
According to the police, the gang used family units to carry stolen sandalwood discreetly by buyers and intermediaries and used the trust of local drivers and residents. Thefts were carried out in a highly targeted way and showed a premedic survey and a solid distribution channel.
Police Jubilee Hills is now looking for the remaining members of the escape.
Published – June 13, 2025 21:47
