Mumbai: Masked burglars wearing 'white hooded cloaks' rob two stores in Bandra

MUMBAI: Burglars dressed in white hooded outfits that appeared to be PPE kits stole cash from two neighbouring stores in Bandra West at daybreak Monday.
Annapurna dry fruit shop and Slash Boutique lost a sizeable sum between them. Annapurna's owner Bharat Padiyar said, "My CCTV footage captures two bike borne thieves arriving outside our shops around 5.30am, dressed in white raincoats with white hoods, much like the PPE kits in use nowadays. They were wearing masks also. They probably did so not only to avoid detection but also because nobody would question them or come close, because of their attire. They tried breaking the locks and also used a crowbar to break the shutters. They stole cash from my counter as well as the next door boutique."
Sanjay Shroff, owner of the adjacent Slash Boutique said, "Both shops were burgled within eight minutes. I lost my entire week's earnings and staff salary amount. I feel crime is rising because the prolonged Covid lockdown has rendered people unemployed. In fact, the carpenter who came to repair my shutter reported a robbery on 14th Road a few days ago. I feel the risk also increases because under trials are being released from jail due to overcrowding. Moreover, the police force is also beset by corona and is short staffed."
In fact TOI had reported that 55 personnel from Khar police station alone are infected by Covid-19. "The state is doing its best (to curb crime) but its focus is centred around stemming the spread of the disease," Shroff said.
Khar police registered FIRs in the case. However, they said the burglars were dressed in jackets and masks not PPE kits. "As their faces were covered, identifying them could be a problem. Our detection teams are scanning CCTV footage to track down the burglars," an officer said.