A dentist and her mother were arrested by the Commissionerate of Police on Wednesday for allegedly shoplifting garments and accessories worth `2 lakh from several malls and a boutique at Saheed Nagar.
Following a complaint, police raided the house of Dr Kalyani Prusty and her mother Kusuma at Gayatri Vihar at Baramunda area in the City. They recovered 28 expensive sarees, 165 vanity bags, 28 dresses, 15 mobile covers and accessories from their possession. A two-wheeler used by the accused to commute after committing theft has also been seized.
Kalyani, the police said, is a tutor with a private hospital-cum-medical college in the City.
Police said the owner of the boutique Puspaja Dhal, over a period, noticed that a number of items were missing from her shop. She registered a police complaint in this connection on June 11 after which Saheed Nagar police began investigation.
Pushpaja had also once noticed Kusuma lifting an expensive saree from a rack in the shop and clandestinely placing it inside her bag.
“When I sought an explanation, the woman made excuses and pleaded to spare her,” Puspaja Dhal the boutique owner said.
On verifying the CCTV camera footage of the shop, police ascertained that Kalyani and her mother frequented the boutique and shoplifted several items during their visits. Puspaja Dhal, confirmed that the items flicked by the duo were those missing in the stocklist.
The investigators also recorded statement of the boutique staff who mentioned that activities of the mother-daughter duo were suspicious and they rarely purchased anything from the shop.
After collecting evidence against the dentist and her mother, the police arrested them from their residence at Gayatri Nagar. Both have confessed to the crime, the police added.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused, believed to be kleptomaniacs, had committed similar acts at a sports and fitness showroom in the City.
Police Commissioner Dr RP Sharma said the duo have been involved in shoplifting at several shopping malls in the City by diverting the attention of the sales personnel. “They belong to well-to-do family but indulge in such activities due to a compulsive disorder of mind,” Sharma added.
Kalyani and Kusuma were booked under Section 380 of the IPC and produced in a court. Further investigation is on.
Prasanta Patnaik