Mumbai: Maid robbed 13 homes, spent on lovers

Mumbai: Oshiwara police have arrested a 26-year-old maid who would steal from her employees’ homes to indulge her boyfriends. After the arrested accused, identified as Anita Shailendra Gaikwad, was arrested for theft on Saturday, it was discovered that she was a history sheeter with 13 cases of theft registered against her in different parts of the city.

A resident of Chembur, Anita used 13 different identities at the 13 homes she robbed, using names like Savita, Sangeeta, Suman and Lakshmi. According to the Oshiwara cops, there were two theft cases registered against her in Oshiwara police station alone.

The first case against Anita was registered by Nirav Parekh on June 19, and the second case was registered by Bismillah Anwar Shaikh on July 4. The woman had robbed jewellery worth Rs 10 lakh from the two households.

Modus operandi

Anita would roam the city streets and ask watchmen guarding different buildings if any of its residents needed a domestic help. Identifying her victims in this manner, she would approach the residents and ask for work.

“Anita in her statement said that after agreeing on a salary, she used to offer to work at the home for a day in order to acquaint herself with her duties. The residents usually agreed, asking her to provide a photograph and identity proof,” said API Ravindran Patil from the Oshiwara police station.

On day one on the job, however, Anita would grab at valuables from the house and make a dash. She would then approach local jewellers in her locality and mortgage the ornaments for money. The money she made in this way was used to entertain eight successive boyfriends.

After the complaints were lodged, cops obtained a CCTV recording of Anita exiting the complainant Bismillah’s Lokhandwala residence. Checking previous records, they learnt that the Santacruz police had earlier arrested Anita. The cops then alerted their informers, who tipped them off that Anita was a resident of Chembur. The arrest was then made on Saturday.

“She would splurge the money on her boyfriends. We have learnt that Anita had 13 cases registered against her in Santacruz, Tardeo, Chembur and Juhu areas. We have recovered Rs 5 lakh from her and are now investigating the case to find out whether her boyfriends were involved in the crimes. The two complainants have identified Anita,” added Patil.