Sonup Sahadevan & Shiva Devnath (MID-DAY; May 1, 2015)

In a scene straight out of a Bolly potboiler, a 30-year-old woman posing as a domestic help got herself employed at TV actress s Andheri house on Wednesday and swept the flat clean of valuables worth Rs 71 lakh, including Rs 6 lakh in cash.

The actress and her businessman husband have lodged an FIR with the Versova police station. Rupali says, “This woman, who identified herself as Sarita, appeared at my doorstep two days ago and requested for a job. When I asked for her ID proof, she said she will get it the next day and begged me to allow her to start work right away.”

The actress then stepped out of home along with her husband and baby, leaving the house in charge of her two regular servants and Sarita. One of the servants is believed to have left soon after. Police suspect Sarita then locked herself in a room, ripped open a briefcase containing the jewellery, wore it while concealing it underneath her clothes and walked out. She apparently told the other servant that she would be back soon, but vanished without a trace.

Rupali blames herself for the incident. “Honestly, it is my stupidity. My husband always used to ask me to put everything away in the locker and never employ maids in the house just like that,” she adds.

The case is being investigated by senior PI Ravindranath Pawar of Versova police station and cops have detained the two servants and the watchman of Rupali’s posh society, Bianca. The con woman, who has been captured on CCTV cameras, was earlier seen at highrises in Charkop and Kandivili as well. The cops believe Sarita uses the same modus operandi to loot unsuspecting, rich people.