<p>A gang of eight pickpockets with a new modus operandi is stealing money from BMTC passengers. </p>.<p>Recently, two persons have fallen prey to the gang. The thieves pretend to vomit in the bus and pickpocket passengers by diverting attention. </p>.<p>One of the victims, 45-year-old K H M Siddaramesha of Vijayanagara district and owner of a provision store, lost Rs 25,000 on June 16. </p>.<p>According to the complaint filed by Siddaramesha, he had come to Bengaluru with his family to put his daughter for coaching classes. They boarded a BMTC bus at Majestic and were heading to the Adugodi police quarters to the house of a relative. </p>.<p>A gang of eight got into the bus near the Shanthinagar depot. </p>.<p>The gang sat in the seats surrounding Siddaramesha. In a couple of minutes, one of them, seated behind Siddaramesha, began to pretend like he was vomiting. </p>.<p>The others told Siddaramesha to get up as he may vomit on him. He immediately got up. The gang surrounded Siddaramesha while the person continued to act sick. Soon, the gang got down at the Nimhans bus stop. </p>.<p>After the bus moved ahead for 300 metres, Siddaramesha checked his pocket and realised Rs 25,000 was stolen. He immediately told the bus conductor and driver about it and got down from the bus. He went back to the Nimhans bus stop. The suspects had escaped by then. </p>.<p class="CrossHead"><strong>Two more victims </strong></p>.<p>Siddaramesha went to file a complaint at the Siddapura police station and they directed him to the Adugodi police. When Siddaramesha went to the Adugodi police station, he found two more victims with similar experiences there. </p>.<p>Siddaramesha told <span class="italic"><em>DH</em></span>: "The other two persons also narrated similar stories about members of a gang picking their pockets on a BMTC bus. They had also encountered the puking drama before their money was stolen." </p>.<p>The Adugodi police sent Siddaramesha back to the Siddapura police as the incident happened in their jurisdiction. Finally, his complaint was accepted. The Adugodi police have taken up complaints from the other victims, too. One of them lost Rs 12,000. </p>.<p>Police have lodged theft cases and are trying to nab the thieves. </p>.<p>According to Siddaramesha, the gang members were of dark complexion and well-built. He had brought the money to pay the fees for his daughter’s coaching classes. </p>
<p>A gang of eight pickpockets with a new modus operandi is stealing money from BMTC passengers. </p>.<p>Recently, two persons have fallen prey to the gang. The thieves pretend to vomit in the bus and pickpocket passengers by diverting attention. </p>.<p>One of the victims, 45-year-old K H M Siddaramesha of Vijayanagara district and owner of a provision store, lost Rs 25,000 on June 16. </p>.<p>According to the complaint filed by Siddaramesha, he had come to Bengaluru with his family to put his daughter for coaching classes. They boarded a BMTC bus at Majestic and were heading to the Adugodi police quarters to the house of a relative. </p>.<p>A gang of eight got into the bus near the Shanthinagar depot. </p>.<p>The gang sat in the seats surrounding Siddaramesha. In a couple of minutes, one of them, seated behind Siddaramesha, began to pretend like he was vomiting. </p>.<p>The others told Siddaramesha to get up as he may vomit on him. He immediately got up. The gang surrounded Siddaramesha while the person continued to act sick. Soon, the gang got down at the Nimhans bus stop. </p>.<p>After the bus moved ahead for 300 metres, Siddaramesha checked his pocket and realised Rs 25,000 was stolen. He immediately told the bus conductor and driver about it and got down from the bus. He went back to the Nimhans bus stop. The suspects had escaped by then. </p>.<p class="CrossHead"><strong>Two more victims </strong></p>.<p>Siddaramesha went to file a complaint at the Siddapura police station and they directed him to the Adugodi police. When Siddaramesha went to the Adugodi police station, he found two more victims with similar experiences there. </p>.<p>Siddaramesha told <span class="italic"><em>DH</em></span>: "The other two persons also narrated similar stories about members of a gang picking their pockets on a BMTC bus. They had also encountered the puking drama before their money was stolen." </p>.<p>The Adugodi police sent Siddaramesha back to the Siddapura police as the incident happened in their jurisdiction. Finally, his complaint was accepted. The Adugodi police have taken up complaints from the other victims, too. One of them lost Rs 12,000. </p>.<p>Police have lodged theft cases and are trying to nab the thieves. </p>.<p>According to Siddaramesha, the gang members were of dark complexion and well-built. He had brought the money to pay the fees for his daughter’s coaching classes. </p>
