THANE: With the boom in commuters on Mumbai’s suburban routes in the past five years, the number of pickpocket incidents too has shot up from a measly 654 in 2013 to 19,458 in 2018 (till September). Simply put, five years ago, an average of two cases of valuables being flicked from passengers’ pockets were reported daily; the number has gone up to 72 in 2018. The incidents have been reported on Mumbai GRP’s jurisdiction-—from Churchgate to Dahanu, CSMT to Khopoli and Kasara, and CSMT to Panvel The Mumbai GRP said the dense rush on platforms is to be blamed as nearly 95% pickpocketing happens in crowded places like coaches or platforms or bridges where criminals disappear easily. “Pickpockets need a crowded and moving environment where the victims can be distracted,” said Niket Kaushik, commissioner, Mumbai GRP.Kaushik also attributed the spike in numbers to the instant registration of crime unlike in the earlier days when most junior officials would reportedly dissuade victims from filing complaints or register them as missing reports. “Additional director general of police (railways) Jaijeet Singh had in fact issued orders to register offences whenever reported, following which the numbers swelled up,” said another official.Explaining the modus operandi, officials said pickpockets usually loiter on station premises and identify targets on platforms or at ticket windows. “Once that is done, they chase them to crowded places like bridges or coaches. They work so quickly that it is almost impossible for victims to realize their pockets have been picked. By the time they realize, the train has left the station or the suspect has disappeared into a sea of passengers,” said an official.A pickpocket who was nabbed by the Thane police said that bulging wallets or commuters groping their pockets to check if valuables are safe are indicators. “Victims are targeted while alighting or boarding crowded compartments when their attention towards their pockets is least,” said an investigating officer who has worked in the detection unit at the Thane railway police zone.“Some criminals also work in groups. One diverts the attention of a victim by pushing him or something like that while an aide stealthily relieves the commuter of his or her purse. The valuables are then handed over to a third accomplice waiting nearby,” he explained.Another police official who has solved several such cases said, “Commuters usually check their pockets and valuables minutes before alighting but the moment the train stops, their focus wavers and this is when they are targeted. Many thieves follow the victim to the compartment door, target him and then go back. They get off at the next station to avoid detection at the crime spot.”A collegian from Mumbai who recently lost her purse to a pickpocket while travelling to Thane said she was targeted while alighting. “I was busy trying to find a foothold, this is when the robber must have done her job,” she said.The Thane GRP has deployed teams from Thane to Diva and Kalamboli, Airoli to keep a check on pickpockets during festive season. “We have deployed both uniformed and plainclothes staff,” said an official.Activists say the solution is in reducing train congestion, putting cameras in all coaches and at blindspots on platforms.

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