Gang of women chain snatchers held in Bandra
Trio from Tamil Nadu stole chains from two women attending feast
MUMBAI:A gang of three women, who stole gold ornaments of two persons including a senior citizen at the Mount Mary feast in Bandra (West), was arrested by the detection team of Bandra police, which consisted of both men and women officers, on Sunday.
According to police, the gang first targeted a 41-year-old woman and then a 64-year-old senior citizen who was seated on a bench, but was arrested before they targeted more people.
The three women were identified as Radiya Rajendra, 37, Nadiya Vasudevan Deva, 35, and Pandeshwari Rajumuttu, 24. All the three accused, from Tamil Nadu, were sent to police custody till September 19 by a local court.
A police officer said, “The accused women were all well dressed and looked just like other people around them who had come to visit the [Mount Mary] fair. The modus operandi of the group was to first zero in on a target and then surround her from all angles to steal her gold ornament.”
“The accused first spotted the 41-year-old woman at 9.15am and stole her gold chain by surrounding her so that she didn’t get to know when her chain was taken,” said the police officer.
The accused then spotted the 64-year-old woman at 9.45 am sitting on a bench. Rajumuttu sat on her left and another woman from the gang came and sat on her right while the third accused stood right in front of her to act as a cover, police said.
“Rajumuttu started pretending she was ill, and the senior citizen got worried and tried to take care of her. As she was busy figuring out what to do, the woman sitting to her right stole her gold chain while they were all covered by the third accused,” the police officer said.
“The 41-year-old, on noticing her gold chain missing, approached the police. The senior citizen noticed her gold chain missing when she reached home,” the officer said.
Police said that CCTV cameras played an important role in identifying the accused. A special team, including women officers, was formed, to search and arrest the gang members.
Rajendra, Deva and Rajumuttu were nabbed by the police on the road. The police suspected that there was a possibility the gang was waiting there and looking out for their next target.
Police sources said the women came to the city three days back from Tamil Nadu to one of their family friend’s house in south Mumbai.