The Bandra police recently apprehended three women who were employed as house-cleaning staff but took their job description a bit too seriously. These individuals not only cleaned their clients’ houses but also meticulously cleaned out their cash and valuable belongings. The accused women, identified as Anisha Jani Shaikh (45), Nirmala Appasaheb Kamble alias Anita (42), and Gulzar Makbul Shaikh (40), are residents of the MHADA colony in Dharavi at Sion East.
The modus operandi of these women involved accepting housecleaning jobs and discreetly creating duplicates of the house keys. This allowed them easy access to the premises even after the cleaning assignment was completed. Their nefarious activities were not limited to a single instance, as they were found to be involved in several cases of burglaries across the city.
The investigation into their activities began when Shafiq Jagani (78), an investor residing in the Grand Bay Apartment complex near Mehboob Studio in Bandra West, filed a complaint against them. Interestingly, Jagani’s sister, who is an NRI, also owns a house in the same society. Jagani would hire cleaning staff to tidy up his sister’s house once a month, and it was during one such occasion that he engaged Gulzar Shaikh’s services.
On April 14, Gulzar Shaikh cleaned the house and subsequently returned the house keys to Jagani. However, on May 6, when Jagani inspected the cupboards, he discovered that jewelry worth Rs 4 lakh was missing. It was then that the police began their investigation, relying on CCTV footage from nearby buildings. The footage revealed that Gulzar Shaikh and the two other accused had revisited the premises a few days after the cleaning job, casting suspicion upon them.
Based on this evidence, the police apprehended the three women for questioning. Subsequent inquiries led to their arrest as their involvement in the thefts became increasingly apparent. During the investigation, the police made a significant breakthrough by recovering stolen gold jewelry worth Rs 40 lakh from the possession of the accused.
The arrest of these individuals highlights the importance of vigilance when employing domestic staff and serves as a reminder to take necessary precautions to safeguard our homes and valuables. The Bandra police’s swift action and effective use of CCTV footage played a crucial role in apprehending the culprits and bringing them to justice.
