Seeta aur Geeta in pick-pocket drama

Sisters arrested while trying to steal passenger's bag on bus

Sisters arrested while trying to steal passenger's bag on bus

The modus operandi of these sisters could have been lifted from a 70's Bollywood flick, where heroines spent their lives flicking purses and wallets. The two sisters, identified as Saraswati, 23, and Aarti, 25, living in the Raghuvir Nagar area of northwest Delhi, boarded buses to steal whatever they could from unsuspecting passengers. Buses running from ISBT were their favourite haunts.

Two good: Saraswati and Aarti, both pickpockets, in police custody in New Delhi on Wednesdayu00a0PIC/IMTIYAZ KHAN

However, on Tuesday, when the two tried to rob one Amrik Kaur on a Blueline bus (Route No 883) travelling from Pitampura, they were caught red-handed.

According to the police, Amrik said in her complaint the bus was crowded and near Raghuvir Nagar in Maurya Enclave, northwest Delhi, two women boarded it.

"Since the bus was crowded, the complainant was standing. As soon as the bus started moving, Kaur realised one of the two women had put her dupatta over her handbag. Kaur told us she did not even realise when one of the women opened the zip and took out Rs 500 from her bag.u00a0 She was looking for a gold chain that the complainant was carrying in her bag. However, Kaur said she caught the woman's hand and raised an alarm. The other woman tried to flee but was caught by passengers," said a senior police official.

During interrogation, the sisters confessed they stole to make ends meet as their husbands didn't provide for them.

"They said they wore salwar-suits and shawls to cover bags of passengers. They had just started their day when we caught them. We hope to recover a lot of stolen goods from their house at Ghodewala Park, Raghuvir Nagar. Aarti told us they attacked shoppers in busy markets as well," said a cop.