Indore News: AI Layoff Pushes Teenagers To Commit Jewellery Heist

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): A youth, who reportedly lost his graphic design job at an IT company due to AI, decamped with valuables worth lakhs from a jewellery shop with the help of a female friend who was preparing for the NEET examination. Rau police arrested the duo and recovered stolen valuables worth Rs 16.17 lakh from their possession.

DCP Krishan Lalchandani said that the accused are teenagers and allegedly told police they turned to crime because they were struggling financially. The male accused claimed that after losing his job to AI in layoff around two months ago, he could no longer afford rent or food. Consequently, the pair planned the theft, targeting Shri Jewellers. They had visited the shop a few weeks prior to buy a silver ring, during which they noted the security was weak and the premises were vulnerable to a break-in.

On the night of December 21, the accused accessed the premises through the rooftop of a neighbouring building and after breaking a door lock on the roof, entered the building and reached the ground-floor jewellery shop from the rear.

The complainant Devendra Soni told police that the thieves stole diamond sets, gold ornaments, and silver items before fleeing via their entry route. CCTV footage captured two masked suspects, one searching through safes and showcases while the other stood guard outside.

ASI s photo of parked scooter cracked the heist

DCP Lalchandani said that the case was solved thanks to the vigilance of assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Madhukar Vishwakarma. Two days before the theft, he had noticed a suspicious scooter parked in an isolated place and took a photo of it as a precaution. During the investigation, the vehicle in the photo was matched to the suspects' movements, providing the first major lead.

The police traced the vehicle to an owner in Mandla, who had sold it to a youth in Indore. That individual had rented the scooter to a friend. Following this trail, police located and arrested the lead suspect and his female accomplice at the Rani Kamlapati Railway Station in Bhopal.

Following interrogation, police recovered the stolen jewellery from their rented residence in Palash Parisar and seized the scooter used in the crime.

Accused struggled to sell stolen goods

DCP Lalchandani said that the duo initially attempted to sell the stolen jewellery but were unsuccessful in securing a reasonable price, likely due to their young age and lack of credentials. They decided to wait until after Christmas to try again and left Indore for a vacation in their native Mandla. The accused were former school classmates who began living together in the Rau area after moving to Indore.

Inspired by 'Bunty Aur Babli'

The accused allegedly confessed they were inspired by the Bollywood film 'Bunty Aur Babli' and dreamt of becoming rich overnight. To ensure the success of the heist, they conducted a recce of the shop for four consecutive days before striking.