Of the 479 people caught pickpocketing in the Delhi metro this year, 438 or 91 per cent are women, the Central Industrial Security Force, tasked with providing armed security to metro operations, said today. Last year, the percentage was 93.
The force undertook over 100 operations to address complaints of thefts in metro trains which carries an estimated 26 lakh commuters every day.
The overwhelming number of women indulging in these crimes has shown a constant trend over the last few years and the CISF, after apprehending these women, hands them over to the Delhi Police for legal action under law.
Recently, the force busted a notorious gang of such women who had robbed a US-based Indian lady of her jewels and valuables while she was travelling in the Delhi Metro with her husband.
"It has been found that the modus operandi of these women is to either carry a child or travel in a group to con and pick a purse or other valuables of a traveller, be it a man or a woman," a senior official said.
In order to check these crimes, the force regularly undertakes special operations and deploys women and men personnel in plain-clothes to keep an eye on troublemakers.
In 2014, over 300 women were intercepted for these crimes making them about 94 per cent of those held, while in 2013, of the total 466 pickpockets held across various stations of the Delhi Metro, 421 were women.
This year, during the same time period till mid-December, the force also found 106 missing children and handed them over to their guardians or the station controlling authorities.
