A Shiv Sena UBT corporator, Laxmi Bhatia, on Wednesday, April 15, alleged that Rs 20,000 were stolen from her purse inside the standing committee hall at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters. Laxmi Bhatia, elected from ward 56, told reporters that the incident occurred in the hall on the first floor where key financial decisions of the civic body are taken.
According to Bhatia, after a committee meeting, she stepped out to have food in the adjacent room, leaving her purse in her seat. "When I returned, a packet containing Rs 20,000 was missing from my purse. The purse was open and some items, including a charger, were lying outside," she said.
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She informed the civic body's security department, said Bhatia, adding that there are no CCTV cameras inside the hall. She has not filed a formal complaint yet, the Sena (UBT) corporator said.
She also met Mayor Ritu Tawde and Standing Committee chairman Prabhakar Shinde and informed them about the incident, she said. "If the belongings of corporators are not safe here, it raises concerns about overall security," Bhatia said, adding that women corporators often leave their purses in the hall while stepping out during meetings.