Mumbai: Senior citizen scams fellow elders during morning walks

Geeta Patel, the accused

The MHB Colony police have arrested a 64-year-old woman from Bhayandar who would steal jewellery from senior citizens whom she would befriend on the streets. On Wednesday, the accused, Geeta Patel, was busted by a Borivli resident while allegedly attempting to snatch a gold chain worth R1.5 lakh from an 80-year-old. Ten cases have been registered against Patel by victims aged 65 to 80 years and the accused has spent several months behind bars. In fact, the MHB Colony police, as reported by mid-day in 2015, had caught her for a similar offence.

Geeta Patel, the accused

According to the police, her modus operandi included approaching seniors wearing gold chains or bracelets and theb fabricating stories to elicit their sympathy. If the target offered help, she would take advantage of the proximity by hugging them and then snatching their jewellery. In the cases where the target declined assistance, she would accuse them of inappropriate behaviour, threatening to defame them or report them to the police.

The incident

The complainant appeared at the police station and reported that between 11.30 am and 12 pm, the accused met him near Vitthal Mandir, Eksar Talav Road. She told him that her husband was an alcoholic and often troubled her. After gaining the complainant's sympathy, she led the octogenarian to the second floor of a nearby building where she claimed she lived to show him her living conditions. "The accused tried to remove a gold chain from the complainant's neck while hugging him. However, the latter saw through her ruse and pushed her away. She then tried to strangle him," said an officer.

"During the melee, a resident of the building happened to pass by. The victim called out for help, and the resident intervened, apprehending Patel," the office added. "This woman is a repeat offender. We arrested her in 2015 after she snatched a gold chain weighing around 100 gms from a senior citizen. The victim alerted a vegetable vendor and auto driver to keep a watch on the accused. She was eventually seen and the police were alerted," the officer said.

On Wednesday, the police had received a tip-off about Patel's location. "She was already on our radar. Following the complaint, a case was registered against her for the attempted theft of the gold chain," the officer added. An investigation is being carried out under the guidance of Anand Bhoite, DCP, Zone XI; senior inspector Mahesh Balwantrao, PSI Nilesh Patil, PSI Bharat Pol; and a detection team comprising Anil Shinde, Shridhar Khot, Ravindra Patil and Mahantesh Salvi.

Case history

Sources said Patel has a daughter and three sons all of whom are married. She was first booked by the MIDC in 2006. Cases against her were also registered in Dahisar (2015, 2018), MHB Colony (2015), Borivli (2015), Andheri (2018), Kasturba (2020) and Malad (2022).