A couple was arrested from Jabalpur for their alleged involvement in a large number of theft cases at the local railway station, the police said today. Police suspect that Manoj Gupta (35) and his wife Pooja (30), who were arrested last evening, had committed more than 500 thefts at the Jabalpur railway station over the last four years.
Explaining the modus operandi of the accused duo, Government Railway Police (GRP) officer YP Mishra said while Gupta used to befriend unsuspecting passengers at the railway station his wife would steal their luggage. “As per prima facie investigation, the couple had committed over 500 thefts by using different tricks to dupe railway passengers,” said Mishra, who is incharge of Jabalpur GRP station.
He said the couple used to behave as if they did not know each other while committing the crime.
“Gupta used to befriend young passengers at (Jabalpur) railway station while Pooja would approach them with their children (a three-year-old daughter and a one-year-old son) and request them to bring a ticket for her,” Mishra said.
While Gupta and the passenger would go together for buying a ticket, Pooja would decamp with the luggage, he said. Mishra said the couple mainly used to target passengers who were headed towards Bihar and Jharkhand.
The couple was living in rented accommodation in Kripal Chowk area of Jabalpur.
