Women pickpoket alert: Homemakers get robbed in bus

BENGALURU: A woman fell victim to two women pickpockets and ended up losing her gold jewellery and `20,000 in cash while travelling in a BMTC bus from Yeshwanthpur to Hebbal on March 11. 
The pickpockets dropped four `5 coins on the bus floor and pretended to have dropped the change accidentally. When the victim tried to pick up the coins to give them to the women, the latter stole her 
vanity bag.

Halamma H R (59), a native of Harapanahalli in Ballari district, lost her gold bangles worth `1.4 lakh and `20,000 in cash. The homemaker had come to the city on March 11 to stay with her son, who works here and stays in Bagalur. 
 

Halamma got down from a KSRTC bus in Goraguntepalya and boarded a BMTC bus heading to Hebbal. She was carrying a kit bag in which she had kept her clothes. She kept her vanity bag in her kit bag after she got a seat in the bus. Two women, who boarded the bus along with her, were standing next to her as 
they didn’t get a seat in the crowded bus. 

When the bus approached the BEL Circle bus stand, one of the women took out `5 coins to give to her companion. She dropped four coins on the bus floor and made it look like it was an accident. Halamma bent down and started picking up the coins to give them to the two women. Although she felt someone moving her kit bag, she didn’t pay much attention to it. 

She gave the coins to the women, who thanked her and continued their journey. When Halamma reached her son’s house, she opened her kit bag and found her vanity bag missing. She then realised that the two women had diverted her attention and stole her vanity bag containing her ID documents along with the jewellery and cash. 

Halamma filed complaint with Hebbal police on Friday. 

An investigating officer said the two women are suspected to be pickpockets. 

“We have taken up the case of cheating and theft and are making efforts to nab the duo. According to Halamma, the women were aged between 30 and 38 years,” the officer said.