A 27-year-old woman pickpocket was nabbed within 25 minutes after she stole the purse of a bank's assistant general manager in a BMTC bus and was trying to withdraw money from an ATM kiosk on Thursday morning. The victim's husband received an SMS on his mobile about the huge withdrawal of Rs 90,000 and alerted her. The victim got down from the bus and being a bank official, she called the bank to find out the place from where the money was withdrawn. The ATM kiosk was just 500 meters away. The victim, with the help of security guards and a few roadside vegetable vendors, nabbed the accused and handed her to the police.
The victim, a resident of Rajajinagar, had boarded the BMTC bus near Bashyam Circle to go to her bank on Magadi Road. The victim works in State Bank of India. Around 10.20 am, when she was travelling in the bus, the accused, 27-year-old Abhi alias Prafulla, a resident of Banashankari, managed to steal her purse from her handbag. The accused immediately got down from the bus and walked to an ATM kiosk of State Bank of Hyderabad on Malle Gowda Street. The ATM kiosk is 10 minutes walk from Bashyam Circle.
"There were two ATM cards in the purse and the victim, despite being a bank official and knowing the dangers of leaving the ATM PIN near the cards, had still written the PIN in a slip and kept it in the same purse. The accused, using the PINs, had withdrawn around Rs 90,000. The victim had given her husband's mobile phone number for the SMS alert facility. After every withdrawal, the husband kept receiving the alerts. He called his wife who was still on the bus to enquire about the withdrawals. The victim looked at her bag and found that her purse was stolen," said an officer part of the investigations."
Being a bank official, the victim checked with the bank to find out the ATM kiosk from where the money was withdrawn. She immediately got down the bus and rushed to the kiosk and found the accused still inside trying to withdraw more. The ATM cards had a minimum withdrawal limits of Rs 50,000 each. The accused, after using one card, was withdrawing money from the other card. The security guard of the kiosk also suspected foul play due to repeated withdrawals.
"The victim immediately sought the help of the security guard and a few vegetable vendors in the vicinity. The public surrounded the accused and the victim also saw her purse with the accused. The victim called the police control room and the jurisdictional Rajajinagar police were sent to the spot and brought the accused to the police station. The victim was advised not to keep the PIN with the ATM cards," the officer added.
The accused claims she is from Hosur in Tamil Nadu. But according to her voter ID card, she is a resident of Banashankari. The accused seems to be a habitual offender, which is being verified. The entire money was recovered intact and will be returned to the victim after completing the formalities, Rajajinagar police said. Further investigations are on.
The victim, a resident of Rajajinagar, had boarded the BMTC bus near Bashyam Circle to go to her bank on Magadi Road. The victim works in State Bank of India. Around 10.20 am, when she was travelling in the bus, the accused, 27-year-old Abhi alias Prafulla, a resident of Banashankari, managed to steal her purse from her handbag. The accused immediately got down from the bus and walked to an ATM kiosk of State Bank of Hyderabad on Malle Gowda Street. The ATM kiosk is 10 minutes walk from Bashyam Circle.
"There were two ATM cards in the purse and the victim, despite being a bank official and knowing the dangers of leaving the ATM PIN near the cards, had still written the PIN in a slip and kept it in the same purse. The accused, using the PINs, had withdrawn around Rs 90,000. The victim had given her husband's mobile phone number for the SMS alert facility. After every withdrawal, the husband kept receiving the alerts. He called his wife who was still on the bus to enquire about the withdrawals. The victim looked at her bag and found that her purse was stolen," said an officer part of the investigations."
Being a bank official, the victim checked with the bank to find out the ATM kiosk from where the money was withdrawn. She immediately got down the bus and rushed to the kiosk and found the accused still inside trying to withdraw more. The ATM cards had a minimum withdrawal limits of Rs 50,000 each. The accused, after using one card, was withdrawing money from the other card. The security guard of the kiosk also suspected foul play due to repeated withdrawals.
"The victim immediately sought the help of the security guard and a few vegetable vendors in the vicinity. The public surrounded the accused and the victim also saw her purse with the accused. The victim called the police control room and the jurisdictional Rajajinagar police were sent to the spot and brought the accused to the police station. The victim was advised not to keep the PIN with the ATM cards," the officer added.
The accused claims she is from Hosur in Tamil Nadu. But according to her voter ID card, she is a resident of Banashankari. The accused seems to be a habitual offender, which is being verified. The entire money was recovered intact and will be returned to the victim after completing the formalities, Rajajinagar police said. Further investigations are on.