Gang of women pickpockets targeting Delhi Metro commuters booked

The police took action based on a complaint filed by Rajender Chauhan, a commuter, who reported that cash had been stolen from his bag while travelling between Lajpat Nagar and Majlis Park on the Pink Line.

“The complainant felt someone rummaging through his bag while he was standing in the Metro. He had the presence of mind to catch hold of the person who was doing it and started shouting. This caught the attention of other passengers, who prevented them from fleeing when the metro stopped at Nizamuddin Sarai Kale Khan station,” said a senior police officer.

Investigators said the women operated as a group, picking crowded Metro trains during peak hours to identify vulnerable passengers. “They identify vulnerable passengers, and using the rush and distraction in crowded compartments, steal valuables such as cash and jewellery from bags and swiftly deboard at the next station,” the officer said.

Around Rs 2,000 in stolen cash was recovered during the operation, the police said.

According to the police, Laxmi works as a labourer but is a repeat offender with a long criminal record. She has previously been involved in at least 13 theft cases registered across various Metro and local police stations in Delhi.

The police said she was produced before the court, while raids are being carried out to verify the addresses and backgrounds of her associates. Further investigation is underway.

The accused were booked under sections 303(2) (theft), 317(2) (receiving or dealing in stolen property), 112 (petty organised crime), and 3(5) (common intent) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at Nehru Place Metro police station, said the police.