Text message on instructions to make idli helps domestic worker gets bail in theft case

The lawyer representing the accused had submitted that she was absent from work on July 16 and 17, when the alleged theft took place. The police had opposed the bail stating that the cash and jewellery are yet to be recovered.

Written by Sadaf Modak

Mumbai | August 24, 2025 10:04 PM IST

Text message on instructions to make idli helps domestic worker gets bail in theft case

Among the evidence, the court referred to while granting her bail were WhatsApp chats between the employer and Pimple.

A text message on instructions to make idli helped a domestic worker, who was arrested on allegations of theft by her employer in Mumbai last month, get bail.

A case was filed against Reshma Pimple by an employer residing in the eastern suburbs of Bhandup, in whose home she worked as a domestic worker. The employer had claimed that she had kept Rs 19,000 cash at her home on July 16. She alleged that Pimple had been absent at work from July 18 and that Rs 5,000 cash and gold ornaments with Rs 1.2 lakh had gone missing from the house. Suspecting Pimple’s involvement due to her ‘absence’, the employer filed an FIR against her on July 25, following which she was arrested.

Among the evidence, the court referred to while granting her bail were WhatsApp chats between the employer and Pimple.

“Some chatting between them on 18.07.2025 is deleted, but on the same day the informant (employer) asked the accused ‘Idli ka Bhigo Dijiye’ (make preparations to make idlis) and the accused answered ‘Ok’. It means on that day the accused was at work. It is the case of the informant that she kept the amount in the locker of cupboard on 16.07.2025 and from 18.07.2025 the accused remain absent on work. Prima facie it appears that these statements of the FIR are false,” additional sessions judge A V Gujarathi said in his order on August 22, granting Pimple bail.

The court further observed that the chats between them showed that there was communication between them even after July 25, when the employer said that she came to know of the theft.

“…the informant and the accused were in regular contact, and they were chatting with each other normally. This conduct of the victim raises suspicion about the incident,” the court said.

Pimple through her lawyer Piyush Singh filed for bail claiming that she was falsely implicated and said that she was arrested only on the basis of suspicion, even though there was no evidence against her. He had submitted that she was absent from work on July 16 and 17, when the alleged theft took place. The police had opposed the bail stating that the cash and jewellery are yet to be recovered. The lawyer for the accused had argued that nothing was recovered from her, which showed that she was not involved.

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“Prima-facie, the prosecution has miserably failed to prove its case against the applicant/accused. Therefore, present applicant/ accused is entitled to be released on bail. Therefore, there is no need to keep the accused behind the bars for indefinite period,” the court said, granting her bail with conditions.

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