‘Women who steal in Metro can be smartly dressed’
Metro commuters who have been victims of pickpocketing share their experiences
Women travellers generally tend to ask directions from other women, as they feel safe doing this. It is no surprise that amidst growing cases of harassment, women prefer to travel in the ladies compartment. While they might be able to avoid unwanted touch and stares and feel safe, it seems their belongings are not. Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) data reveals that more than 77 percent of pickpockets in the Delhi metro happen to be women. Interestingly, CISF decided in 2016 that women would be able to carry small knives with them for protection. But Delhi University student, Rishab says, “I lost my wallet from my laptop bag while travelling in the metro. I was standing near the door and my bag was at my feet. It was rush hour. Someone had ripped a hole in the zipper to take it out. Obviously, a tool was used.” While Rishab is not sure if a woman did this, but he says, “Considering the CISF data, it could have been a woman.”
Rishab adds, “Anyway who else is allowed to take knives with them in the metro but women? Of course, some other tool might have been used, but there is a probability that it was a knife.”
Knives or no knives, people have lost their belongings to more skilled hand smiths, recalls Ravi Pandit, an event management professional, “It felt like a magic trick to me. It
wasn’t my wallet lying in my bag or my pocket, which I can imagine being picked, as people are often absent-minded. It was my wrist watch, something so immediate to my skin and yet, I never knew when and how it got stolen. The person was so skilled, I didn’t feel a thing. ”
Like Ravi, many people have lost their precious belongings in the metro. “My sister’s chain was stolen from her neck in the ladies compartment ,” A viral Sharma shares a similar tale.
Most of the pickpocketing
women travel in groups, bring children or toddlers with them and might be very well dressed, reveals the CISF data. “I was travelling with my duffle bag with clothes in it. My wallet was kept under a few layers of clothes and I didn’t even get know when and how they picked up my wallet. It was as if they could sense that I was carrying cash. I had `4,000 in my wallet,” shares Geeta, adding, “One can never imagine that a well-dressed woman, standing next to you could pick your pocket. But now I’ve
become wary of people and try to stay away from women travelling in groups.” In 2013, a student pursuing her MBA was caught pickpocketing. She would not just steal cash but also withdraw money from the cards in the wallets.
CISF has identified Rajiv Chowk, Central Secretariat and Kashmere Gate as the stations most prone to pickpocketing. Among other stations where such incidents were reporter were Chandni Chowk, Shahdara, HUDA City Centre, Kirti Nagar, New Delhi and Tughlakabad.