Grandmother arrested for snatching gold chains on Mumbai locals

The Government Railway Police (GRP) has arrested a 65-year-old woman, Anaga Joshi, from Pune for snatching gold chains from women commuters on Mumbai local trains. Joshi, who appeared to be a typical grandmother, targeted victims on the first and third Saturdays of the month, believing other days were unlucky, the Times of India reports.

Joshi told police she turned to crime after her son died in an accident and her husband succumbed to alcoholism, leaving her without funds for daily expenses but determined to keep her home. She travelled from Pune to Mumbai, snatched ornaments, and sold them to jewellers, using her elderly appearance to avoid suspicion.

GRP teams nabbed her after analysing CCTV footage from Dadar station following two thefts in May and June, one of a gold chain worth Rs 67,000 and another of a mangalsutra and chain worth Rs 89,000. Joshi has a prior chain-snatching record from nearly two decades ago. Police recovered the stolen gold from Pune jewellers, and she is in judicial custody.