I cannot say exactly whether he caught me or I caught him, but I was made the hero of the day. It all happened when I was travelling in a local bus. It was packed to capacity. Some commuters were virtually hanging on the rails. I was
trying to move forward to seek a comfortable place. Suddenly, I saw a man putting his hands in the back pocket of another passenger. First, I grew nervous but soon I calmed down and alerted other passengers. They caught him red handed. He struggled hard to get away from them. He showed his empty hands to plead innocence. I refuted his claim and told everyone that I had seen him putting his hands in the back pocket of one of the passengers. The pick-pocket caught me by the collar and challenged me to prove it. I struggled hard to get myself free but his grip was very tight. Some passengers spoke in his favour and called me a liar.
In the meanwhile, the driver changed the route and took the bus to the police station. I cursed my foolishness because that healthy man had started dragging me. I was in tears and sought help from other passengers.
The bus reached the police station. Policemen put a cordon round the bus. The driver reported the whole matter to the police. The sub-inspector caught hold of the pick-pocket and took him to the investigation room. I sat in the reporting room. The police checked the record and found out that he was the most notorious pickpocket of the area. He confessed many other crimes also.
The policeman offered me a glass of water. I washed my face and relaxed. Next day, my name was published in all the newspapers for the remarkable bravery I had shown for nabbing an anti-social element.
