Title - Railway cops mount vigil after ‘sandwich’ pickpockets caught

The Government Railway Police (GRP) officials have now deployed special teams of policewomen in plain clothes have in Central and Egmore railway stations following the arrest of a mother, daughter duo who “successfully honey trapped” a 60-year old man on a moving train bound for Chennai.When S Samsudhin of Kumbakonam got down at the Central Railway Station from an EMU train from Tirupati on Friday, he was shocked to find that his wallet that had important receipts and `300 was missing. Later, he realised that he had been honey trapped.We have heard of women carrying babies, travelling in public transport, stealthily lifting money and valuables from fellow passengers. But in this case, two women — a mother and daughter duo from Andhra Pradesh followed a different route to steal money. The duo chose Sambudhin who was standing in a crowded train and kept moving closer to him. At a stage, they literally ‘sandwiched’ him and grazed against his body. Soon they removed his wallet from his pocket.The man reportedly ‘did not mind’ as he thought that the two were standing closer to him since the train was crowded and had no place to stand comfortably, police said.

When he got down at Central Railway Station near the Moore market complex, he was shocked as he found that his wallet kept in his pocket was missing. Soon, he informed the railway police.

Immediately, policewomen on rounds searched and secured two women. The two were later identified as Aagula Mary (23) and Aagula Bujji (47) from Vijayawada. Police recovered the stolen wallet from them and the arrested women were remanded to judicial custody. Railway police officials said they had received several such complaints of pick pockets.

“The women said they were committing the offence for the first time. However, we are inquiring if they were involved in such offences elsewhere particularly in Andhra Pradesh,” a railway police official said. “Mostly such women do not reveal their real names and it would keep changing every place they travel. We are inquiring that too and additional names would be added in the chargesheet,” the official added.

Sources said the arrest of the mother and daughter was the first such arrest made in pick pocket cases at the Central Railway Station.