Three women held for robbing commuters, Rs 2.70 lakh recovered

The police learnt that the accused committed four cases in Thane, two in Kurla and one each at Wadala and Kalyan this year.

Three women from Jalna who robbed commuters in Mumbai’s local trains were caught last week after they were spotted by woman constables of the railway police’s crime branch. The police recovered stolen valuables worth Rs. 2.70 lakh from them.

One of the women would select a target, one would rob the victim and pass on the valuables to the third, who would get off the train, said the police. (HT Photo)

The women have been identified as Gangu Pawar, 50, Suman Kale alias Gomya, 30 and Sharda Pawar, 30. They would travel with their children, a six-month-old baby and a one-year-old child, to avoid suspicion, said officials.

A team of women constables dressed in civil clothes noticed them acting in a suspicious manner at the Thane station and followed them to the Kalyan station, where they were caught.

The Government Railway Police’s (GRP) crime branch officials said the women came here every month and stayed with their relatives in Navi Mumbai. They would commit thefts here for five days and then return to Jalna.

“They would commit crimes in the Kalyan-Kurla-Wadala belt during the peak hours. One of them would select a target, one would rob the victim and pass on the valuables to the third, who would get off the train,” said Santosh Dhanwat, inspector of the GRP crime branch.

“During their interrogation, the women revealed that they had committed several acts of chain-snatching and bag-lifting in the past,” added Dhanwat.

The police learnt that the accused committed four cases in Thane, two in Kurla and one each at Wadala and Kalyan this year. They have been remanded to police custody.