A woman pickpocket was caught red-handed by some BMTC bus passengers near Marathalli bridge on Monday.

The police said Kokila (32), a native of Salem, is a habitual offender. She used to lift purses and wallets from commuters while travelling in buses. Several cases have been registered against her in various police stations in the city, they added.

 Kokila used to board the bus with her three-year-old baby and gain sympathy from commuters by standing with her baby. If they tried to offer her seat, she would refuse and instead, hand the baby over to them and manage to pickpocket wallets. Once, she got hold of the wallets or purses, she would alight from the bus in the next stop. Her main targets were women, but she would also pickpocket purses from men, the police said.

On Monday, some alert commuters caught her red-handed near Marathalli bridge while she was trying to pickpocket a purse from a woman in the bus. They handed her over to HAL police station. The police said she was returning to Salem after committing the crime.