Wire theft accused use sarees to escape RPF lock-up in Belapur

Rupali Kailas Kurhade, 30, from Jalna district, and Shalibai Ashok Pawar, 40, from Bhiwandi, had been arrested on September 26 over the alleged theft of overhead electric wire from a godown at Juinagar railway station

Navi Mumbai: Two women arrested in a suspected railway wire theft case pulled off a dramatic escape from the RPF lock-up in Belapur in the early hours of September 28, allegedly breaking the lock and tying their sarees to a generator in the police station balcony to climb down the building. One of the women was caught within hours, while the other remains on the run, police said.

Wire theft accused use sarees to escape RPF lock-up in Belapur

Rupali Kailas Kurhade, 30, from Jalna district, and Shalibai Ashok Pawar, 40, from Bhiwandi, had been arrested on September 26 over the alleged theft of overhead electric wire from a godown at Juinagar railway station.

The theft was reported to the RPF by the concerned railway office on September 24. The Belapur RPF registered a case under Section 3(a) of the Railway Property (Unlawful Possession) Act, 1966, as amended in 2012.

According to the complaint filed by RPF sub-inspector Milap Singh Parte, a trap was laid at the Juinagar railway station premises on September 26. The two women were allegedly found moving suspiciously and were taken into custody with the assistance of a woman police constable from Vashi GRP.

The duo were arrested around 5.30pm and produced before the 35th court at CSMT the next day. The court granted their police custody until September 30. They were subsequently brought to the RPF Belapur police station and lodged in the lock-up around 7.30pm, with a woman constable assigned to guard them.

CCTV footage reportedly showed the women reaching through the lock-up door and pulling at the lock from inside. They then allegedly removed their sarees, tied them to a generator in the balcony and used the makeshift rope to climb down from the building and flee.

Kurhade was traced around 8.45am near Nerul railway station and taken into custody, the complaint stated. Police were continuing efforts to trace Pawar.