Girl gangs looting trade fair visitors?

Two women arrested by police after stealing a lady's purse at IITF; cops suspect many such miscreants are on the prowl

If you plan on visiting the Trade Fair this weekend, be on your toes as like every other year, snatchers and pickpockets are having a field day at Pragati Maidan. What's different is the gender parity that's on display. According to the cops, girl gangs are active at the India International Trade Fair (IITF), robbing visitors of their valuables.


Everyone's here: Crowds at the India International Trade Fair in
New Delhi. File pic

Two women were caught red-handed stealing the purse of a girl at gate number 1 of Pragati Maidan on November 17. The father of the girl caught them in the act and handed them over to the police.
A senior police official at the IITF police station said that the duo had targeted and looted more than a dozen women at the fair.

"They have been identified as Shiela and Meena. Both are residents of Gurgaon. The purse of the girl has been recovered from them; it contained Rs 450 and some documents. Apart from the purse, some cash was also recovered, which they had stolen from other victims," said the officer.

Speaking with this reporter, Naresh, the victim's father said he had come to the venue with his two daughters. They were returning home when the incident took place. "We are interrogating the culprits. They have been targeting visitors since the first day of IITF," added the police official.