An officer privy to the investigation told mid-day that the accused couple have a long criminal history and are involved in multiple theft cases across India
Milan Baiju Vathiyat (R) and Athulya Milan Vathiyat (L)
A husband-wife duo from Kerala, dubbed the modern-day ‘Bunty and Babli’, have been arrested by Khar Police for allegedly stealing Rs 53,500 from the cash counter of a clothing showroom on Linking Road, Khar West. The theft was executed under the guise of shopping, with the woman distracting a salesman while her partner stole the cash.
The accused have been identified as Athulya Milan Vathiyat (21) and Milan Baiju Vathiyat (24). An officer privy to the investigation told mid-day that the accused couple have a long criminal history and are involved in multiple theft cases across India. “They were released from jail in September 2024 by the Trivandrum City Police, and since then, have been on a theft spree across various cities,” the officer told mid-day.
A husband-wife duo from Kerala, dubbed the modern-day ‘Bunty and Babli’, has been arrested by Khar Police for allegedly stealing ₹53,500 from the cash counter of a clothing showroom on Linking Road, Khar West. The theft was carried out under the guise of shopping, with the woman… pic.twitter.com/ZVTiQvx4vw
— Mid Day (@mid_day) May 8, 2025
The couple reportedly targets large retail outlets, especially clothing and general stores in metropolitan areas. Their crimes are typically carried out during morning hours, shortly after the stores open, when staff presence is minimal. Using a well-practiced routine, the woman distracts employees with questions and false purchases, while the man quietly slips behind the counter to steal money from the drawer.
“They recently struck a showroom in Khar on May 1, timing their theft for early morning to exploit the lean staff presence,” said a police official.
To avoid detection, the couple frequently changed their mobile phones and SIM cards. “They travel by road using hired taxis. The woman often convinces drivers to hand over their Aadhaar cards or other documents under various pretexts, which are then used to procure new SIM cards. These are destroyed once they leave a city,” the officer added.
When arrested, investigators found only seven days of mobile data on their phones, suggesting deliberate efforts to erase digital footprints.
How was the couple arrested?
After registering an FIR on May 1, Senior Inspector Sanjeev Dhumal of Khar Police Station formed a special investigation team comprising PSI Hanmant Kumbhare and constables Dinesh Shirke, Kundan Kadam, Mahesh Lahamge, Vishal Bhamre, Sumit Ahivale, and Manoj Handage. Inspector (Crime) Vaibhav Katkar supervised the investigation.
The team reviewed CCTV footage from the showroom and circulated images of the suspects through internal police networks. “Besides doing this, we had alerted all the shopping malls in Mumbai and adjacent districts because we had learnt that the couple targets shopping malls and showrooms shortly after they are opened,” said an officer.
Their efforts paid off on May 7 when the duo was spotted at Oberoi Mall, Goregaon. “People alerted us, and we immediately rushed to the location and apprehended the suspects,” the officer said.
Police confirmed that the couple had been involved in at least 50 similar cases across India, employing the same distraction-based technique.
“The couple has a large criminal record across India where they have used the same modus operandi of distraction tactics to steal cash from the counter of a shop or showroom. To date we have learnt that around 50 cases are registered against them in all the big cities of India,” the officer said.
“Theft cases are registered against them at various police stations including Panvel City, NRI Coastal police station, Koparkhairane, Gorakhpur,” the officer told mid-day.
The couple has confessed to committing similar thefts across multiple cities including Delhi, Bhopal, Chennai, and Bengaluru, and has several cases registered against them nationwide.
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