An officer of the Iranian embassy in New Delhi, who had come to Mumbai on a vacation, fell victim to a gang of thieves disguised as beggars
An officer of the Iranian embassy in New Delhi, who had come to Mumbai on a vacation, fell victim to a gang of thieves disguised as beggars and lost his wallet containing Rs35,000 and identity card.
Mohammed Rezab Nizad had come to the city with wife Farwar and children Zahida and Saeed on April 17. They checked into Hotel President at Cuffe Parade.
On April 20, around 2 pm, Nizad was walking with his family on the footpath outside the Sir JJ School of Arts on DN Road when four men accosted him. Two of them fell at his feet, pleading for alms. While Nizad was trying to dodge them, two others went behind him and picked his wallet from his trouser and fled. The wallet had Rs 35,000 in cash and his identity card issued by the Iranian embassy.
When Nizad and his family screamed for help, pedestrians on the footpath chased the thieves and managed to nab one of them. He was handed over to Azad Maidan police.
“The thief, Rakesh Sham Munjal, 19, has been booked under section 379 (theft) of the IPC (Indian Penal Code,” senior inspector Prakash Shishupal said.
“He has been remanded in police custody till April 25.” The police are yet to nab the other three.
Thieves have employed this modus operandi earlier, too. On January 9, Dr Rudolph Lawrence Hill, a German, was walking towards Crawford Market when men posing as beggars picked his wallet containing 400 euros (Rs26,000) and three credit cards. Hill managed to nab of one them, Mahadeo Bhanu Pawar, 19.
On January 27, the gang stole the wallet of London-based executive Advert Zao at the Oval Maidan. It contained Rs16,000 and a credit card.
The police said the gang zeroed in on foreign tourists in Colaba, Cuffe Parade, Fort and Flora Fountain areas of South Mumbai.
k_dayanand@dnaindia.net
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