New Delhi, July 11: An assistant sub-inspector with the Border Security Force (BSF) was on Wednesday arrested for allegedly stealing a woman’s handbag containing gold and diamond jewellery worth Rs 15 lakh, at the Delhi airport.
Looking to make easy money ahead of his posting at Bagdogra, the accused, identified as Naresh Kumar, committed theft at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport when the woman passenger was waiting for her husband for their flight to Srinagar, The Times of India reported.
The accused ASI was at the IGI Airport for his flight to Bagdogra.
The woman told police that after completing the boarding formalities and security check, she took a seat and kept her handbag under the chair.
Five minutes later, she realised that the bag containing ornaments was missing from under her seat. After she was unable to locate the bag, she raised an alarm and alerted the police.
“The complainant was on her way to board a flight to Srinagar, when after completing her boarding formalities, she took a seat and kept her handbag under the chair. Soon, she realised that her bag, which contained gold and diamond, was missing after which she approached the police,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (IGI Airport), Sanjay Bhatia.
Following the complainant, CISF and Delhi Police present at the airport scanned the CCTV footage. They spotted ASI Naresh Kumar lifting the bag from under the seat of the passenger.
After his identification, a search operation was conducted and Naresh Kumar was nabbed — just as he was boarding the flight to Bagdogra.
Initially, he denied having stolen the handbag, but the officers found the bag and gold and diamond ornaments worth Rs 15 lakh from his possession, the daily reported.
A case was launched and the ASI was taken into custody.
Police said initial investigation suggested that the accused wanted to make easy money. The medical examination of Naresh Kumar also confirmed that he was under the influence of alcohol.
Naresh Kumar later told cops that he was hoping to get on his flight before anyone could suspect him of theft.
