Archana, a native of Narsapur in Medak district is pursuing PG in Psychology from OU in distance mode. She was arrested on Tuesday when she was caught stealing cash from a passenger in a bus in Ameerpet.

Archana’s father is a government school teacher in Medak. She earlier stayed at Vivekananda Nagar in Kukatpally but recently shifted to Narsapur as her mother is unwell. She would come to city frequently to get medicines for her mother as she has undergone a heart surgery. She used to travel by bus during rush hours wearing a burkha and then steal money, gold from the woman passengers by standing behind them. She would get into local buses from Kukatpally to ESI, ESI to Maitrivanam and Maitrivanam to Panjagutta to target her victims.

One of the victims, who lost her debit card, lodged a complaint with police. Based on the complaint, the police nabbed Archana after following her. They caught her red-handed in the bus and she confessed to committing the theft. She also told the police that she was impressed by a theft in the bus, which caught her attention when she saw a woman stealing things in the bus during rush hours.

For the past six months, Archana committed three thefts and stole over nine tolas of gold. The police recovered Rs2 lakh worth gold from her