30 August,2010 08:29 AM IST | | J Dey
Brazen thefts in broad daylight are the new trend mushrooming across the city's public transport system
"Has anybody lost a mobile phone?"
That's what one of the commuters who was alighting the BEST bus at Pooneri Nagar on Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road called out aloud.
Robbers keepers, losers weepers
ANYONE LOST IT? The cellphone of Goregaon resident, Vaver
Vishwakarma (47), is picked as he is on a BEST bus
COME AND GET IT: Just before alighting, the man asks aloud if anybody
has lost a phone. When Vishwakarma claims it's his, the man gestures
to him to get down. Illustrations/Satish Acharya
COMPLETE LOSER: When Vishwakarma gets down, the man and his
accomplice beat him up, rob his cash and valuables and flee taking
the cellphone too
As people on board started frisking their bags and pockets, Goregaon resident Vaver Vishwakarma (47), who was standing in the aisle, realised that his cellphone was missing.
The man, who had just got off the crowded bus, held out the cellphone and gestured to Vishwakarma to come down and take it.
The BEST bus moved on.
What happened next was unexpected and unbelievable.
While the man with the cellphone slapped Vishwakarma, another who was around kicked and punched him.
Vishwakarma's money and other valuables were taken away. And the two men walked away with the phone and other valuables with non-chalant brazenness.
This incident took place on Saturday, less than a week after four foreigners were arrested for the broad daylight diamond heist in Goregaon.
A new trend?
Police sources said that the brazen theft and assault in the BEST bus is just the tip of the iceberg of several such robberies taking place across the city of late.
While senior police officers continued to be holed up in marathon meetings with the city top cop, their subordinates seem to be finding it tough to cope with the spiralling crime rate.
In another case, Sachin Shelar (22) was robbed of Rs 1.5 lakh in cash in Prabhadevi on August 21. Shelar and his colleague had left their Mahim office by car to go to the bank.
According to Sachin, his colleague dropped him across the bank near Siddhivinayak Mandir and drove away. Just as Shelar was crossing the road, an unidentified man snatched the bag containing the cash and fled. Though Shelar chased him a distance, the thief managed to dart ahead, dodging the heavy traffic and vanished.
"Investigation in this matter is going on," said Assistant Police Inspector Sanjay Karambhe. There have been dozens of such incidents in the past few days.
Police say
Joint Commissioner of Police (law and order) Rajnish Seth, however, said there has been no increase in serious crime. "[Crime] detection rate this year is better than last year in respect of murders, robberies, dacoities and extortion," said Seth.
