Mumbai Crime: Women gang of shoe thieves strolls into Andheri East

The two women suspected to be shoe thieves while entering Harmoni Society, Mahakali Caves Road. One of them has an umbrella in her hand

A gang of women stealing expensive shoes from outside the homes are active in the western suburbs. Though theft of shoes may seem innocuous and thus disregarded by the police for not being a serious crime, a marathoner from Andheri recently lost two pairs of running shoes worth Rs 50,000.

The theft of expensive running shoes was not the only loss suffered by the family of the marathoner identified as Bakul Suryakant Shinde, 30, a resident of Harmoni society at Poonam Nagar at Mahakali Caves road at Andheri East. The athlete's father Suryakant Shinde who retired from ONGC company as chief superintendent also lost his branded shoes worth Rs 15,000.

The women checking out the shoes placed on the building staircase

Speaking with mid-day Bakul Shinde said, "I am an international marathon runner and also represented our country at Sweden and Denmark as part of the under-16 football team. Few months ago, I purchased two pairs of running shoes worth Rs 25,000 rupees each. We kept these shoes on the staircase outside our home."

On checking the surveillance camera footage, Shinde found that two sari clad women wearing masks had made away with the shoes. "They walked about as if they were cooks or maids in the society and they went upstairs and when they reached our floor they stole the expensive shoes," he said. The women had cleverly used the umbrella to get cover from the surveillance cameras. The theft didn't come to notice immediately as Shinde used the running shoes only for the races.

One of the women opens the umbrella in a bid to cover CCTV cameras

"When we informed the Andheri police about the incident a beat marshal constable arrived. We shared the CCTV footage with the police," Shinde said. The police did not lodge an FIR as the stolen goods are ‘merely' shoes. Senior police inspector Satish Gaikwad of MIDC police station said, "We have not received any information regarding the same. If the person gives information we will register an FIR and also conduct investigations."

Bakul Shinde, athlete and victim of shoe theft

Shinde had come across a news report in the mid-day about theft of expensive shoes by a gang of women who had targeted areas in Ghatkopar and Mulund. In August 2023, the women were caught on camera stealing shoes from Kamal Kunj Society on Vallabh Baug Lane and Basant Vihar society on 60 Feet Road, both in Ghatkopar East. The women gang had made away with two pairs of shoes worth Rs 15,000.