Inspired by ‘Bunty Aur Babli’: How graphic designer who lost job to AI, NEET-aspirant looted jewellery store; both arrested

INDORE: Police in Indore have solved a jewellery shop burglary reported from the Rau police station area, arresting an 18-year-old graphic designer and his woman friend, a NEET aspirant, for allegedly stealing ornaments worth over Rs 16 lakh.The theft took place on the night of December 22 at Shri Jewellers, owned by Devendra Soni, and located in the Silicon City area. According to police, CCTV footage from the shop showed a man entering the premises through the roof and escaping with gold, silver and diamond ornaments.After committing the burglary, the two accused fled Indore and went into hiding in Bhopal. Following a technical and ground-level investigation, police traced their movement and detained them in Bhopal before bringing them back to Indore, officials said. Jewellery worth nearly Rs 16.17 lakh was recovered in full from their possession.During the probe, police detained the male accused, identified as Priyanshu, a resident of Mandla district, along with his associate Arya, who is preparing for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET). Both are 18 years old and have known each other since childhood.Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Shrikrishna Lalchandani said the accused came from economically weak backgrounds and had planned the theft after watching the 2005 Bollywood film Bunty Aur Babli, news agency PTI reported.“During interrogation, the young man told us that he used to work part-time as a graphic designer at an IT company, but lost his job due to the company’s adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) technology and was finding it difficult to make ends meet,” Lalchandani said, according to news agency PTI.The DCP added that the duo had conducted a detailed survey of the area before executing the burglary. After stealing the jewellery, they attempted to sell it but failed to get the expected price as potential buyers suspected them due to their young age.“The accused say they tried to sell the stolen jewellery, but the buyers, thinking they were children, wouldn’t pay the right price. So they decided to sell it after the Christmas holidays,” the officer said.Police said further investigation is underway to ascertain whether the duo was involved in any other similar offences.