Three sets of husbands and wives — robbers with a penchant for breaking into posh eateries and shops — are now on the run after Azad Maidan police arrested one of the women as she and her husband were escaping on a bike following a robbery in South Mumbai.
Three couples — all partners in crime — were caught by the Azad Maidan cops on Saturday. The couples made their money by robbing tony SoBo eateries and shops in the dead of the night.
The police cracked the case when they stumbled upon Fatima Firoz Khan, 28 as she was breaking into a bar near Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST). Her husband managed to run away, leaving his wife to fend for herself. The police are now confident of rounding up the rest of the gang in a few days with the help of Fatima.
Fatima was caught as she and husband Husain Sheikh were trying to escape on a bike after looting R70,000. It was a local resident who spotted the duo and pulled Fatima off the bike. A few policemen on patrol rushed in to nab the woman.
Based on Fatima’s confession, the cops now have the names of the other two couples — Vellu Murga alias Venkatesh Mudiaar and his wife Sheetal; and Noor Md Qasim Sheikh alias Laddu and his wife Shehnaaz — all residents of Shilphata in Mumbra.
According to Fatima’s statement, the six of them travelled on bikes to make good their escape. Senior police inspector Narendra Singh of Azad Maidan police station said, “All the bikes were also stolen and have fake number plates. We have confiscated some of the plates from Fatima’s home.”
Fatima has confessed that the gang was involved in at least six robberies in the past few months — three in Azad Maidan, one in Pydhonie, one in Thane and one in Pant Nagar. API Anil Surve of Azad Maidan police station said a lookout has been issued for the other accused and information sent to other police stations.
