A 9th-grade student from Najafgarh in southwest Delhi has been detained for allegedly stealing his mother’s gold jewellery to finance his girlfriend’s birthday celebration and purchase an iPhone for her, according to police reports from Wednesday
The situation unfolded when the boy’s mother filed a report about a theft at their home. The investigation revealed that the teenager was responsible for the crime. He had sold his mother’s gold jewellery to two different goldsmiths in Kakrola and used the proceeds to buy the expensive phone for the girl he was dating.
Police have arrested a 40-year-old goldsmith named Kamal Verma and recovered a gold ring and earring. According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka) Ankit Singh, the theft was reported on August 3, involving two gold chains, a pair of gold earrings, and a gold ring, stolen between 8 am and 3 pm on August 2.
Initial investigations found no suspicious activity around the house as seen in CCTV footage, and no witnesses reported any unusual activity. Focusing on the family members, police discovered that the son had been missing since the theft. Information from his school friends revealed he had recently bought a new iPhone worth Rs 50,000. Despite several raids at his known hideouts in Dharampura, Kakrola, and Najafgarh, he managed to evade capture until a tip-off led to his arrest near his home on Tuesday.
When confronted, the juvenile initially denied his involvement but later admitted to selling the stolen gold. He explained that his father had died recently and he had little interest in studies, often scoring average marks. His friends informed police about his relationship with a girl in his class.
The boy had asked his mother for money to impress his girlfriend on her birthday, but she refused due to financial constraints and advised him to focus on his studies. Upset by her denial, he decided to steal from home.
The DCP mentioned that the investigation is ongoing.
Inputs from TOI
