Five women caught pick-pocketing in Malad and Borivli, booked

This image has been used for representational purposes only. Pic/ Ravi Jadhav

The Borivli GRP and the Malad police caught five women yesterday who were allegedly pick-pocketing in a local train as well as at market places by taking advantage of the crowd.

The Borivli GRP caught a 21-year-old woman from Borivli railway station and during an interrogation, it was revealed that the accused was identified as Nikita Sandeep Singh, a resident of Dahisar. She belongs to a good family and her father works as an electrician contractor. Nikita is an arts graduate and was working in a private firm in Andheri at a monthly salary of Rs 12,000. She started pick-pocketing in trains since January this year and the police claimed that they have solved three cases of the same.

"We have caught the accused with the help of CCTV footage," said Senior Inspector Bahaskar Bhosle from Borivli GRP.

Similarly, the Malad police yesterday also caught four women who were allegedly pick-pocketing the purse and valuables of women in rushed markets outside Malad station. The four accused were identified as Simi Pathan(30), Shaheen Pathan(30), Farhana Shaikh(25) and Safiya Khan(20) who are Bandra residents. They were caught by the Malad patrolling team near MM Mithaiwala in Malad west. It was said these women were trying to pickpocket a 35-year-old woman at the time.

The modus of their crime was very unique. They initially fixed their target and taking advantage of the crowd, followed her and surrounded her from all sides. She immediately opened up her purse, stole a cash pouch from it and handed it over to her accomplice, standing on the other side.

"However, the others around saw the accused in action and began shouting for help. The police patrolling team passing by caught the accused and booked them under section 379 and 511 of the Indian Penal Code," said a police officer from Malad police station.

"The accused were produced before the court and were remanded police custody," he added.

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