Alert Mumbai Metro staff helps commuter get back lost wallet in 4 hours

Yash Rajesh Sonle, the commuter

A Picpocket who stole a 19-year-old's wallet on the Metro was nabbed less than four hours after the crime was reported, thanks to CCTV footage and alert staff. The incident occurred last Saturday around 6 pm at the Azad Nagar Metro station. Hours later, one of the accused, Sajid Ibrahim Sheikh, was held at Ghatkopar Metro station and handed over to the Andheri police at 10.10 pm. His accomplice, however, managed to escape.

Speaking about the incident, the complainant Yash Rajesh Sonle said, "I took a Metro from Azad Nagar around 6 pm and alighted at Andheri. My co-passengers told me my bag was open. While I was zipping it shut, I noticed my wallet was missing. I immediately called the Metro staff to inform them about this and was asked to file a complaint at the Andheri police station. I felt hopeless about getting my wallet back."

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Sonle would soon realise he needn't have lost hope. "Within four hours, around 10 pm, I got a call from Metro authorities saying one of the people who stole my wallet has been nabbed from Ghatkopar while the other one has escaped," he added.

"The wallet had my Aadhaar and PAN cards, one USB drive and R200 cash. The accused took the money and USB and threw away some of my cards near Ghatkopar station. Earlier, I also got a call from a vada pav vendor who had found my PAN card. He got my number from the cover of the card, where I'd written it."

A spokesperson from Mumbai Metro One Private Limited (MMOPL) said, "We received the complaint regarding the wallet at 6.20 on Saturday. Since Metro premises are under constant CCTV surveillance, our investigation revealed the two miscreants who were involved in stealing the wallet at Azad Nagar station. They alighted at Ghatkopar.

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We anticipated their return and swiftly circulated their pictures at the two Metro stations. The duo returned to Ghatkopar at 8.20 pm to travel to Azad Nagar. Our alert guards spotted them, went after them and nabbed one of them; the other one managed to disappear. We found several stolen wallets from the arrested accused, who was then handed over to the Andheri police station. The owner of the wallet was called at 10.10 pm and an FIR was lodged. Cops have arrested the miscreant and are looking for his accomplice."

The Andheri police have registered an FIR under sections 379 (theft) and 34 (common intention) of Indian Penal Code against the accused. They are searching for the second accused. "We are also verifying if the accused were involved in similar offences," said a police officer.

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