An Indian woman was allegedly arrested for stealing items worth $1,300 from a Target store in Illinois, United States. A bodycam video of the incident recently surfaced online, showing the woman being confronted by police.
According to the timestamp on the footage, the incident occurred on 1st May this year. However, The Free Press Journal (FPJ) has not verified the authenticity of the viral video.
Reports suggest the accused, Ananta Avlani, who was visiting McHenry County in Illinois, was caught attempting to steal goods worth $1,300 from a Target store.
Store staff grew suspicious after she spent over seven hours shopping. They alerted the police, and a female officer, accompanied by two male colleagues, promptly arrived at the scene. The ensuing interrogation lasted more than four hours.
In the video, the woman is heard pleading with officers, insisting she had money to pay for the items. However, the police demanded she provide identification.
"I understand you’re sorry and willing to pay now. But you didn’t want to pay earlier, so I need your ID," the female officer replies.
Throughout the ordeal, the woman repeatedly appealed to the officers, stressing that she had sufficient funds and was ready to purchase the items. She allegedly begged for release multiple times, calling the situation deeply humiliating. Yet the officers—particularly the policewoman—showed no leniency. At one point, the officer sharply asked, "Is this how you steal in your home country?"
Despite her desperate pleas and offer of immediate payment, she was arrested and taken to the police station, where formal charges were filed.
This incident serves as a stark reminder, especially for Indian students and tourists in the US: shoplifting is treated as a serious offence with long-term consequences. Once detained, neither remorse nor a belated offer to pay can undo the legal repercussions.
