With rumours of child abductors lurking around flying thick and fast, chaos prevailed at Malwani in Malad West on Friday after locals caught two women suspecting them to be child lifters. As they were about to take them to the police, the women took off their clothes, leaving the residents of the slum pocket baffled. The two then scurried in opposite directions and escaped the area. The drama unfolded inside the home of Mangal Kanwale at Maruti Chawl, Rathodi Village when she, her husband Vijay, their 11-year-old son and 8-year-old daughter were sleeping.

I went to buy milk at 6.30 am. On my return, I decided to rest for an hour, but I had not locked the door from inside. I woke up to some sound and saw two women in our home. Since many messages about child kidnapping gangs are doing the rounds over the past few days, I screamed to alert my husband and neighbours,” said Kanwale.