New crooks on the prowl
On 8 June 2023, my maid Seema, who cooks for me at 94 Anand Lok, Second Floor, went to the Thursday night weekly market in Masjid Moth around 8.00 pm along with her neighbour and two children, where she was assaulted, drugged and robbed.
She and her 8 year old son were walking ahead while her neighbour and 12 year old daughter were walking a little behind. Three very friendly girls followed her, one patted her shoulder and asked ‘aunty do you know where is the ATM, we need to deposit some money?’
Seema started to walk towards the nearby ATM, but they steered her and her son towards a small park behind Father Agnel School. There they asked her to hold on to a packet tied in a large hanky that felt like a bundle of notes and said please wait here till we come back after finding an ATM. She and her son waited for some time, not sure how long. Her young son didn’t understand what happened, but was smart enough to bring her home after some time.
When they reached home, her husband noticed her gold earrings and smart mobile phone were missing. She also had a small blood clot on her left shoulder that looked like an injection mark. Plus she had a large blue bruise on her right knee. She had no idea when she fell down. Perhaps she was pushed to sit on a bench where she hit her knee or she fell down. She couldn’t remember how it happened.
Then her family opened the packet and found it contained a bundle of paper cut to the size of rupees, some white thread and a chunk of black soil. Now it’s not certain whether they injected some drug on her shoulder or put something in the packet with a substance that she smelt and lost her awareness.
Next morning they went to the Hauz Khas police station. They said she still doesn’t remember what happened clearly. So please come tomorrow then we will hear, and perhaps, record her statement. They saw no point in going there the next day as the police were not even sympathetic to their loss and trauma. She was so traumatized and afraid to walk to work even during the day.
She took a few days to recover, but is still apprehensive. So please be aware of this new technique when you or your help visit crowded markets, and that even friendly young girls can be lethal crooks.
by Pushpa Pathak (98101 57251)
