New Delhi: A Class 9 student in southwest Delhi's Najafgarh area has been apprehended for allegedly stealing his mother's gold to fund his female friend's birthday party and buy her an iPhone, police said on Wednesday. The incident came to light after the boy's mother filed a police report about a house theft by an unknown person. During the investigation, the teenager was identified as the thief.
According to the police, the accused sold his mother's gold earring, gold ring, and gold chain to two different goldsmiths in the Kakrola area. He used the money to purchase a high-end phone for the girl, with whom he was allegedly in a relationship.
40-year-old goldsmith arrested
The police have arrested a 40-year-old goldsmith named Kamal Verma and recovered one gold ring and one earring from him.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka) Ankit Singh said, "On August 3, an incident of house theft was reported by a woman in which she reported the theft of two gold chains, one pair of gold earrings and one gold ring from her house on August 2, by unknown person between 8 am to 3 pm."
Based on the complaint, an FIR was filed and an investigation was initiated, according to the officer. "CCTV footage of the crime scene was checked, but no suspicious activity was found near the house of the complainant at the time of the incident. The team further examined the neighbourhood for any clues but no one witnessed any suspicious activity during the said time," the DCP added.
Son was missing since burglary
Eliminating the possibility of outside involvement, the investigation team concentrated on the family members. They discovered that the complainant's son had been missing since the burglary. The team then began gathering information and interrogated his school friends.
DCP Singh said that the team got to know that he (the accused) had purchased a new iPhone worth Rs 50,000 and they conducted many raids on his hideouts at Dharampura, Kakrola and Najafgarh, but everytime he managed to escape. "On Tuesday, a tipoff was received that the juvenile will come to his home at about 6 pm, following which a trap was laid near the house," he added.
Around 6:15 pm, the juvenile was intercepted near his home. Realising he was trapped, he attempted to escape but was apprehended, the officer added. "During the search, an Apple mobile was recovered from his possession. When he was interrogated, he denied initially his involvement," the officer said.
The juvenile later admitted to selling the stolen gold to two goldsmiths, leading to the arrest of Kamal Verma from his shop. According to the DCP, the boy, a Class 9 student from a private school in Najafgarh, lost interest in studies after his father's death and had average academic performance.
His friends informed the police that he was in a relationship with a girl from his class. To impress her on her birthday, he sought money from his mother, who refused due to financial constraints and advised him to focus on his studies. Upset by the denial, he chose to steal from his home. The investigation is ongoing , the DCP further said.
(With PTI inputs)
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