Mumbai: Woman Caught Red-Handed Attempting Theft at KEM Hospital Doctors' Hostel

An incident occurred on Wednesday at the women doctors’ hostel of KEM Hospital in Parel, Mumbai, where a woman was caught red-handed attempting theft. She was apprehended by one of the doctors and handed over to the Bhoiwada Police. The woman has been identified as Aarti Devanani (39), originally from Nagpur, and a case has been registered against her. The complainants, Dr. Aishwarya Bhumre (28) and Dr. Nikita Umberkar (28), both residents of the KEM UGBG Hostel, had locked their room and left the key on the window grill before heading to the hospital at 8 a.m. on Wednesday. When they returned around noon for lunch, they noticed the door was unlocked. Upon opening the door, they saw a woman standing near the window holding one of their purses. Startled by the sound of the door opening, the woman dropped the purse.

Suspicious Behavior and Changing Identities

During questioning by the security guards, the woman initially identified herself as “Neha,” but later said her name was “Ritika,” which raised suspicions. The doctors promptly informed the police control room, and the woman was taken into custody.

Evasive Responses and False Claims

When asked how she obtained the room key, the woman claimed to be a trainee in the ENT department and said her name was Neha. She explained that her friend lived on the 8th floor, and due to a lift issue, she mistakenly came to the 9th floor. When the doctors asked her for ID, she gave vague responses and changed her story again—saying she had come to the room to get a sanitary pad from a fellow doctor. Dr. Bhumre then took her to the 8th floor, but the woman continued to give evasive answers. She was then escorted to the ground floor security desk by guard Balkrishna Thore, after which the police were notified and took her into custody.