Mumbai: Two women arrested in snatching, burglary cases

The two women were identified as Uma Subhash Chitre (left) and Shital Arun Upadhya

The Bangur Nagar police made breakthroughs in two separate snatching and burglary cases with the arrest of two women. According to police sources, both women are experienced offenders with a history of prior cases across various police stations.

The arrested women have been identified as Shital Arun Upadhya, 38, and Uma Subhash Chitre, also known as Gudia, 30. Upadhya, a seasoned burglar, was previously apprehended by the Borivli police for a recent crime committed in Malad's Evershine Nagar Nalanda Usha Colony on Friday evening.

"She employed a unique modus operandi, visiting and roaming various residential societies to target locked flats. While attempting to break the lock of a flat, she was interrupted by a man from the neighbouring flat. Upadhya pretended she was looking for a job as a maid within the society," said a police officer on the condition of anonymity.

"When the man refused, she left and moved to another wing of the building, where she broke into a flat and began to steal jewellery worth about R30 lakh from a safe inside the cupboard. However, she was caught by the security guard at the gate. The man, having noticed her suspicious behavior, alerted the building's security guard, sent him a photo, and asked him to check before she could leave the society," said the police officer.

"The guard checked and found the stolen jewellery in her possession, and alerted a society member, who then called the police. The flat belonged to a 69-year-old woman living alone, as her daughter resides in Bandra with her husband and her son is settled in Canada. At the time of the incident, she had gone to the Gurudwara for darshan after locking the flat door," the police officer added.

"We have registered a case under various sections of BNS and arrested Upadhya. She was produced before the court and was remanded to police custody," said the officer. In another case, the Bangur Nagar police caught a 30-year-old woman for snatching a gold chain from the neck of a 28-year-old woman on June 29.

The victim was heading towards her office from the Malad West Metro station when an unknown man came behind and snatched the chain from her neck. According to the police statement, the woman chased the accused but the accused handed over the gold chain to another woman sitting in an auto and escaped from the spot.

The accused, identified as Vahid Shaikh, 28, was apprehended by the public and, during interrogation, confessed to the crime, revealing the name of his associate, Gudia. Gudia, who has a criminal record including robbery and snatching in Dahisar and Samta Nagar, also has a history of murder with over a dozen cases against her. Due to her extensive criminal record, she had been externed from North Mumbai.

"We have arrested both accused under various sections of BNS and they are remanded in police custody", said Senior Inspector Pramod Tavde from Bangur Nagar police station.