Mumbai:
Maids are usually hired to clean the house, but these two con women are experts at cleaning up the entire house, quite literally. Not only did the maids steal valuables worth Rs 3 lakh from their employer's ninth floor residence, they also took his safety vault with them. One of them was three months pregnant.
The Mahim police have arrested Renuka Ingale (30), resident of Airoli, and Kushali Bhagwat (20), resident of Mulund, for stealing valuables worth Rs 3 lakh and the safe from their employer's Mahim residence yesterday. A third accomplice, Sangeeta Khan (25) is absconding.
The matter came to light when on July 26, Makrand Paraskar (37), a resident of Victoria House in Mahim, discovered some valuables were missing from his house. On checking further, he was shocked to discover that his safe was also missing.
Paraskar immediately suspected that it was the handiwork of the maid that he had recently hired. He filed a police complaint immediately, but did not have any identity documents of the maid with him.
"Paraskar complained that valuables and the safe were missing from his house. He also pointed out that Bhagwat, the maid he had recently employed, was also not traceable," said assistant police inspector Narayan Jadhav of Mahim police station.
Paraskar had no identity proof of Bhagwat. He only had her phone number. The cops sourced the address from the service provider and discovered that it was a fake address. The cops then asked the service provider to trace the location of the cell phone from the mobile tower. She was finally traced to a colony in Mulund and was subsequently picked up.
After their arrest it was discovered that the maids were habitual offenders and had been involved in several thefts over a period of five years.
During interrogation, Bhagwat revealed the name of her friend Renuka, who had planned the entire theft. Bhagwat also confessed that it was Renuka who helped her carry the 15 kg vault.
"In Paraskar's absence they made a duplicate key and entered the house. The two then walked away with the safe and carried it to Renuka's Airoli residence," said Jadhav.
"The valuables were handed over to another accused Sangeeta, who kept it with her. We have recovered the valuables but Sangeeta is absconding. The search is on for her and we will catch her soon," said.