Chaos at Mahalaxmi Racecourse as 36 fans lose gold, diamonds and phones collectively worth over Rs 28 lakh in concert crime spree; Police said the thefts took place during peak crowd movement inside the packed venue, with many fans realising their valuables were missing only after they exited
Travis Scott, American rapper. Pic/Getty Images
American rapper Travis Scott’s ‘Circus Maximus’ concert at Mahalaxmi Racecourse turned into a hotspot for large-scale theft, with 36 fans reporting gold jewellery, diamond pendants and mobile phones stolen, collectively worth over Rs 28 lakh. Tardeo police have registered seven FIRs covering 24 stolen mobile phones and 12 missing gold chains and diamond pendants, making it one of the biggest theft incidents recorded at a Mumbai concert.
Police said the thefts took place during peak crowd movement inside the packed venue, with many fans realising their valuables were missing only after they exited. Officers believe a coordinated pickpocketing gang used the loud music, dim lighting and chaotic crowd flow to target attendees. Senior Police Inspector Sawalaram Salgaonkar said the investigation is progressing quickly and assured that arrests will be made soon.
The large crowd at the Travis Scott concert in Mumbai on November 19. Pics/By Special Arrangement
The earliest complaints came from young attendees. Priyansh Ashwin Divecha, 18, from Kalbadevi, reported that his 15-gram gold chain worth Rs 1.2 lakh was snatched during the show. Soon after, Nathan Linus Koli, 18, from Malad, reported the theft of an identical chain. Bengaluru resident Pranav Shanmugan Purushottaman, 23, said his 13-gram chain vanished in the crowd. Heet Pranav Pourwal, 18, from Sandhurst Road, reported his 10-gram chain stolen, while Sudarshan Subodh Bhatt, 19, from Jogeshwari, said his 24-gram chain worth Rs 2 lakh was pulled off his neck. A 21-year-old attendee from Surat, Yuvraj Dineshbhai Gajjar, said his gold chain with a diamond pendant worth nearly Rs 3 lakh was stolen. Similar complaints came in from Archit Subhashu Mandav, 18, of Kandivli, Ansh Ashish Maheshwari, 19, of Goregaon, Kuldip Mahendra Chaudhary, 21, of Panvel, Pradyumna Shrikant Orcot, 24, of Powai, Nishant Shashikant Chaughule, 23, of Thane and Natesh K N Premanandan, 23, of Kerala, all reporting gold chains between 10 and 23 grams snatched inside the venue.
Mobile phone thefts were equally rampant, with 24 stolen devices reported by fans and event staff. Complainant Divya Kothari, 22, said he attended the concert on November 19, where dense crowd movement near the entry and standing zones made it easy for thieves to lift phones unnoticed. He discovered his iPhone was missing only after reaching his resort assignment later. Around the same time, Pradyumna Mane and Mohammad Shayadan Khan also reported their iPhones stolen inside the venue. A 25-year-old event worker said his handset was stolen from his back pocket, while an 18-year-old woman from Goregaon found her iPhone missing from her shoulder bag. Police said 16 of the stolen phones were iPhones.
Investigators said the thefts occurred between 7.30 pm and 10.30 pm, during and immediately after the concert, when the crowd was at its densest. CCTV coverage inside the arena is limited, but police are analysing footage from entry gates, exit points and perimeter areas to identify suspects.
The event, held on November 19 at Mahalaxmi Racecourse, drew an exceptionally large crowd of fans eager to watch Travis Scott perform. Police were deployed for crowd management, but the heavy turnout created dense movement in several sections throughout the night.
7
No. of FIRs registered
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