Canada Theft: Indian woman in Canada shocked after being victim of ‘distraction theft’, four gold bangles taken off wrists

Indian woman in Canada was robbed when she was on her daily walk. (Photo: CP 24)

An Indian woman in Canada, Santosh Sharma, was recently robbed when she was on her daily walk along Côte-Vertu Boulevard in the Saint-Laurent borough in Montreal. The incident took place recently and the woman told Canadian media CP24 that she was still in shock as she did not even understand when she was robbed. A car stopped near her and the occupants, a white man and a woman, waved at her and said something. Sharma said she did not understand what they were saying but it was something like ‘Mamma mia’. A third person approached her from behind and pushed her towards the car. Her son Vishnal Sharma said she is not that strong that she could resist anyone. When she was near the car, the occupants took four gold bangles off her wrists and then stuffed fake jewelry into her pocket and drove off. Santosh said it happened so fast and so smoothly that neither she got a good look at the thieves nor anyone around her seemed to have noticed.Vishnal says they called 911 as soon as his mother returned home. Montreal police (SPVM) officers arrived quickly and were helpful, but told them the jewelry was unlikely to be recovered. Canadian media reports call such thefts as ‘distraction thefts’ where the victim is first distracted and then robbed. Vishnal says the bangles were a gift he gave to his mother on his wedding day and estimates they would cost around $15,000 to replace today.“For us it’s very tough to purchase something like that, so it’s not an easy thing,” he said.Sharma arrived in Canada three years ago, and until now, she has found Montreal to be safe, as she has never been the victim of a crime before. Now she said she’s too afraid to go outside. Vishnal said he hoped his mother’s story will help others to stay safe. “I just want to tell everybody to be vigilant, stay away from all these people and never wear jewelry on the roads.”