Hearing and speech impaired woman held for pick-pocketing in Mumbai

 13.01.2019

Mumbai: The Kurla GRP officials arrested a 26-year-old hearing and speech impaired woman for allegedly stealing a debit card and using it to withdraw Rs 25,000 from an ATM and purchase two dresses and a gold ring. A special educator's help was sought to aid the police.

Shindu Mane, who works at Sion Hospital, filed a complaint with the GRP on January 9 after her purse was stolen while she was on a train between Kurla and Bhandup stations, according to a report in The Indian Express. The complainant received several text messages till the afternoon of January 10 notifying her of cash withdrawals and purchases made using the stolen card.

Sub-inspector R Sankpal, Kurla GRP, said that the accused, who was identified as Namrata Thorat, withdrew the cash from an ATM and used the card for shopping in Mulund. The police recovered the CCTV footage of the shop from where the accused had bought the ring and circulated her pictures among the informers.

Reportedly, Thorat was able to use the card as its PIN was written on a piece of paper inside the purse. The police was tipped off about Thorat's location after which she was arrested from Bhandup station on Friday.

It was suspected that the accused woman was faking her disability to avoid arrest. However, a tutor was called for her when it was confirmed that the accused was indeed hearing and speech impaired.

Thorat, who is a Class 10 dropout and had worked with an NGO, confessed to having committed the crime. A case has been registered against her under sections 419 (cheating by impersonation), 420 (cheating) and 379 (theft) of the IPC.