Chennai: Deepavali, shopping, pickpockets

Chennai: With Deepavali round the corner, the city is bubbling with activity. Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) bus services transporting people to the corners of the sprawling city, seem to be bursting at the seams. Amid all this din and bustle, the nimble fingers of pocket pickers are always ready for the kill. Deftly they slither into the crowd and strike their target with ease, and are gone before their victims realise the pain of the sting.

Interestingly, in this context, more than police, MTC's experienced bus conductors are quick to spot pickpockets, since the crime is more often committed in buses, than in the open. Since such crimes usually take place near the rear doors where conductors usually sit and issue tickets, passengers need to exercise caution.

“However, we cannot openly point our accusing fingers at pickpockets. We orally caution passengers on board to keep their valuables safe,” says K Anbazhagan, an RTI activist and former MTC conductor. “Even if we can easily identify pickpockets, we do not warn them, since it is risky for us,” said another conductor.

Anbazhagan also said that the pocket pickers group usually prefer to board crowded buses and start watching passengers’ activities. Later, they keep a tab on the valuables of passengers. “Using their nimble fingers, they rob valuables like wallets and gold. If any passenger catches one of the pickpockets red-handed, the remaining group members join and pretend to attack the real culprit. Finally, they cleverly ask the conductor to stop the bus to beat him up, but this is to escape from the place,” Anbazhagan recounted.

Similarly, another conductor Kothandaraman recollected an incident, in which a pickpocket was caught while stealing a wallet from a passenger. “Sensing that he would be given a sound thrashing by passengers and public, he pulled out a knife and threatened the driver to stop the bus, after which he escaped. These offenders have knives, blades and other small weapons to threaten the passengers and crew, if they are caught,” the former crew of MTC said.

One cannot identify such pickpockets. “They are neat and well dressed. Some look like political functionaries, others appear like white-collar employees. Interestingly, such offenders have boundaries. For instance, a gang of pickpockets rule from T.Nagar to Kodambakkam, while another group has the run from Vadapalani to Porur,” the experienced conductor said.

Recently, police officers pasted stickers describing 'Thirudargal Jakkiratahi’ (beware of pickpockets) on MTC buses.

 “During the festival season, people should be alert to thieves. Since such incidents occur in public transportation, people should be careful, looking around them and if they feel there is any suspicion person nearby they should either move or inform the bus crew,” said a police official, adding that festival seasons pave the way for thieves to steal money and gold items in crowded buses.

• Keep a tab on your belongings while traveling
• Do not use cell phones in the buses
• Keep vigil on persons nearby
• Do not talk to unknownpassengers, as it would divert yourattention