The government railway police (GRP) on Wednesday arrested a 24-year-old woman for stealing a gold chain from a commuter at Kurla railway station. The GRP had nicknamed her as catwoman.
According to Hindustan Times, the accused has been identified as Sita Pradip Sonwani. She works at a construction site. The victim was identified as Maltidevi Singh who is a resident of Kurla. The incident took place on Monday when Singh boarded the train at Kurla station towards Thane. She was standing near footboard of the train when Sonwani grabbed her mangalsutra and jumped out of the train. While recalling the incident, Singh said the accused jumped out like a cat.
Sonwani after she snatched the mangalsutra jumped nearly 10 feet off the train and got off on the other side of the platform within ten seconds. Ramesh Sankpal, police sub-inspector, Kurla GRP told the leading daily, “Sonwani leaped off the train and began sprinting. Bystanders noted something suspicious and tried to intercept her. However, Sonwani dropped the mangalstura and told them that she was in a hurry to get to her son who had been left behind at the previous station.”
The GRP official further added that they identified Sonwani after she returned the next day. And saw that she was searching for something on the platform, wearing the same clothes. While interrogating her she said that she had thrown the chain as she was being intercepted by the crowd. She told cops that she had not received her daily wages for three months and had started snatching gold chains after her husband left her.