2 women arrested for thefts on board PMPML bus; ₹ 7.67 L ornaments recovered

Police said that the accused specialised in targeting unsuspecting female commuters, discreetly breaking the gold bangles of the victims during crowded bus journeys

Crime Branch Unit No. 1 of the Pune city police arrested two women involved in a series of thefts targeting women passengers aboard PMPML buses. The accused were identified as Surekha alias Naggi Chotu Jadhav (34) and Sheetal Dyaneshwar Gaikwad (33) both from Mundhawa. The duo were arrested by police after a trap was laid at Wadgaonsheri bus stop on Saturday.

The modus operandi involved blending into the bustling PMPML buses, where they swiftly and skillfully relieved their victims of their precious belongings. (REPRESENTATIVE PIC)

Police said that the accused specialised in targeting unsuspecting female commuters, discreetly breaking the gold bangles of the victims during crowded bus journeys. The modus operandi involved blending into the bustling PMPML buses, where they swiftly and skillfully relieved their victims of their precious belongings.

Police revealed that the investigative team had been tracking the activities of the duo for some time, following a surge in reported incidents of stolen golden ornaments within the public transportation system. The crime branch team launched a dedicated operation to nab the culprits. On the day of the arrest, the Crime Branch Unit 1, led by Shabbir Sayyad, acted swiftly on a tip-off and apprehended the two suspects in a coordinated operation. During the subsequent search and interrogation, the police recovered two mobile phones, one cutter, and 13 gold ornaments worth ₹ 7.67 lakh.

The recovered ornaments included multiple necklaces, bangles, bracelets, and other jewellery items. During interrogation, it was revealed that there were seven cases registered against the accused at various police stations across the city.