Mumbai Crime: Duo steal phones during namaz in Kandivli

Israr Khan and Guddu Ansari were arrested from their respective homes in Dharavi

The Kandivali police on Wednesday night arrested two men for stealing mobile phones of people offering namaz at the Madina Masjid in Kandivli. Israr Khan, 40, and Guddu Ansari, 25, residents of Dharavi, were arrested from their respective homes after a complaint was filed by a victim on January 5 at the Kandivli police station.

"The duo would steal phones while people offered namaz since most devotees keep their mobile phones aside at the time. The two would swiftly reach the tiny space near the victims' feet to steal their mobile phones and wallets," said an officer at the Kandivali police station. Following the complaint, the police scanned the CCTV footage of the masjid and circulated it among police informers who identified the duo and alerted the investigating team.

According to the police, the two would usually target the zohar (offered around noon) and magreeb (offered post sunset) namaz because a large number of devotees throng masjids during these hours and it would be easier for them to target victims. "People offering namaz cannot pause during the act. Hence it would be difficult for them to identify the duo despite noticing that their phones had disappeared," added the officer. API Sandeep Pachangne and his team traced the accused to Dharavi from where they were arrested and produced before the court on Thursday.

"The two have been remanded to police custody," said senior inspector Nitin Pondkule of Kandivli police station. An inquiry revealed that the accused have also committed similar offences in Kurla and adjacent areas in the past and the police have recovered five mobile phones from them so far. Further investigations are underway, the police said.

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