Mumbai: Thief loots Malabar Hill walkway ticket counter in four-minute heist

Screengrab of the intruder entering from the glass window

The police are investigating a theft in the ticket booth of the Malabar Hill forest walkway late Sunday night after CCTV footage of the incident emerged. In the alleged footage, police said, an unknown man can be seen entering the walkway's ticket counter through a glass window, stealing a few things from the cash counter, and fleeing. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which is in charge of the walkway, has yet to report the incident to the police.

The incident occurred on March 21, around 11.30 pm. The suspect entered the ticket window and escaped with copper wires and other valuables. According to the police, the man was first seen loitering outside the newly constructed walkway around 11.24 pm. He then managed to squeeze through a narrow opening in the ticket window to gain entry.

The thief with a bag of stolen items

A police officer said, "After entering the ticket window, the man stole some valuables. He then unlocked the door from the inside and fled. The entire incident was captured in the ticket window's CCTV cameras, and the accused completed the theft in about four minutes." Speaking to mid-day, DCP Mohit Garg said, "We have not registered an FIR in this matter. We received the video and sent our officers to the scene to verify the incident. We are currently awaiting a formal complaint from BMC to proceed with the investigation."

He added, "On Monday, our officers visited the ticket counter. We are reviewing the CCTV footage and investigating further." Additional Municipal Commissioner Abhijeet Bangar said, "We have checked the CCTV footage and confirmed that a theft occurred at the ticket counter. So far, no FIR or complaint has been filed with the BMC. However, I have instructed our officer to register an FIR and file a complaint with the Malabar Hill police."

Despite the alleged theft, no additional security measures have been implemented at the ticket window by BMC officials. The BMC inaugurated the elevated forest walkway on Sunday after four years of construction. The walkway, now open to the public, spans 482 metres in length and 2.2 metres in width, with entry and exit points located at Siri Road. The project drew inspiration from Singapore's elevated forest walkway.

Visitors can book their slots online, with BMC installing numerous QR codes for easy access to the booking portal. Each slot allows a maximum of 200 people on the walkway for one hour.