Mumbai Crime: Woman uses vaccine as lure to rob senior citizen

The woman said she would come and give the elderly woman the jab at home. She then robbed her at knifepoint. Representation pic

The Worli police have arrested a woman for allegedly robbing a senior citizen on the pretext of providing Covid-19 vaccines at home. The 39-year-old suspect lives in the same society as the complainant, said the police. A tattoo on her wrist helped the cops crack the case.

On May 5, the 74-year-old victim approached the police saying that a woman who had covered her face with a scarf knocked on their door saying she had come to vaccinate senior citizens and sought her details. The elderly woman said she refused to entertain her.

"She then asked for a glass of water. As soon as the senior citizen went inside, the woman followed her and locked the door from inside. She pulled out a knife and threatened to harm her and her 9-year-old grandson. The robber tied the hands of the septuagenarian and the child and took away jewelleries worth R4.5 lakh," said Anil Koli, senior inspector of Worli police station.

Koli said the investigation was entrusted with API Bhagwantrao Choudhari and his team. "There are no CCTV cameras inside or at the entrance of the building. We again recorded the statement of the complainant and talked to her grandson. The child said the woman was using hand gloves and he also recalled having seen a tattoo on her wrist," Koli said.

However, the body art was not enough for the cops to make headway immediately. They could not even make a sketch as the robber had covered her face. "After 10 days, we began focusing on the residents of the building. Based on the details shared by the complainant and her grandson, we zeroed in on a few women residents. We questioned one of them with a tattoo on her hand," said the senior inspector.

The woman, now identified as Dipali Mahatre, confessed to robbing the senior citizen. She lives in the C wing of the building, while the victim is a resident of B wing. Koli said, "She [Mahatre] knew everything about her target, like what time her son and daughter-in-law go out for work. She knocked the door accordingly offering vaccines."