In a case that reads like a crime thriller, the Bandra Railway Crime Unit has arrested a 34-year-old woman, Laxmi Vinod Solanki, for allegedly stealing jewellery and pickpocketing at crowded railway stations across Mumbai—all while her unsuspecting husband believed they were on vacation.
Police officials revealed that Laxmi, a resident of Malkaganj in New Delhi, would routinely travel to Mumbai with her husband, Vinod Solanki, under the pretense of a leisure trip. They would stay together in a local hotel for 3–4 days, during which she would slip away during peak hours to commit thefts on local trains and at busy stations. Once the thefts were done, she would flee the city and return to Delhi.
Vinod, employed with a private firm, had no idea of her activities. According to officers, he was stunned to learn about her arrest.
Laxmi had previously been arrested by the Government Railway Police (GRP) in Vadodara, Gujarat, in a pickpocketing case before her marriage two years ago, but had been released at the time.
Rs 5 lakh theft caught on camera
The arrest follows a case filed by 49-year-old garment trader Mohanlal Shivlal Rajpurohit, a resident of Borivli. On April 29 around 1 pm, he went to drop his wife Mamta and their son Prayansh at Borivli station. They were set to board an express train from Vasai Road to their village. Mamta had packed gold jewellery worth approximately Rs 5 lakh—including a chain, mangalsutra, and earrings—in her handbag.
Taking advantage of the rush at the station, Laxmi reportedly unzipped Mamta’s bag, stole the valuables, and slipped away. CCTV footage from Borivli station captured the act, helping police piece together the timeline. When Mamta checked her bag upon reaching Vasai, she discovered the jewellery was gone and immediately alerted her husband. The couple lodged an FIR at the Vasai Road GRP.
Hiding in plain sight
Investigators later learned Laxmi had been staying at a Borivli hotel with her husband during the incident. After committing the theft, she returned to Delhi. A team from the Bandra Railway Crime Unit traveled to the capital to trace her but was initially unsuccessful.
The breakthrough came when Laxmi returned to Mumbai and checked into the same hotel. The alert hotel staff informed the police, who kept her under surveillance. She was caught red-handed at Borivli station while attempting another theft.
During interrogation, she reportedly confessed to previous thefts at Borivli station, her preferred location due to the constant crowds and long-distance train departures. Police say she admitted to targeting passengers there multiple times. “She would often visit popular tourist spots in Mumbai with her husband during the day, and then find an excuse to leave him alone in the hotel while she carried out thefts,” an officer explained.
Police have recovered stolen gold jewellery from her home in Delhi. She is also wanted in a separate pickpocketing case filed at Borivli GRP in July 2024. Authorities have now notified Borivli GRP to take custody of her.
Her husband, when contacted by police, maintained he had no idea about her criminal activities and believed their visits to Mumbai were purely for vacation.
