The Kandivli police have arrested a 50-year-old woman from Pune for allegedly committing thefts in houses while pretending to be a domestic help. Probe has revealed that accused Chikoobai Kale would roam in housing societies pretending to look for work and steal valuables from flats which would have their main doors open.

In a similar incident that took place in July, Kale entered the flat of a senior citizen Urvashi Shah, 63, at a housing society on Shantilal Modi Road in Kandivli West and stole valuables. Police officers said that the victim’s husband had gone to the temple and she was taking a bath with the main door open. Suddenly she heard some noise and rushed out to find her cupboard open. When she spotted the woman fleeing, she raised an alarm and alerted the neighbours who called the police. On checking, she found jewellery worth Rs 1.40 lakh missing from her cupboard.