Noida: Theft in store of mall, one arrested for stealing ₹3.5 lakh

Sector 20 Police arrested a 19-year-old employee of a store inside DLF Mallon Saturday for allegedly stealing ₹353,740, officials said. The accused, identified as Anish, was apprehended near Khoda Colony in Ghaziabad, with the entire stolen amount recovered.

The alleged theft took place on December 20, following a complaint filed by Amit Kumar, the store owner, who discovered the cash missing from the store’s locker.

“Police team acted upon the complaint, and an FIR was registered under Section 305a (theft in a dwelling house, or means of transportation or place of worship, etc) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). All the stolen amount was recovered, and legal action is underway,” said additional deputy commissioner of police (Noida) Manish Kumar Mishra.

According to the complaint, Kumar closed the store as usual on December 18 and left for the day. Upon returning to the store on December 19 at around 6.30pm, he checked the locker due to a monetary requirement and discovered that ₹3,53,740—three days’ earnings—was missing, police said.

Initial analysis of CCTV footage revealed an unidentified individual unlocking the store’s shutter with a key, entering the premises, and stealing the cash, investigators added. Despite reviewing the footage, police could not initially identify the suspect.

A case was registered at Sector 20 Police Station, and investigators scrutinized CCTV footage extensively to track down the accused. Anish was ultimately arrested near Khoda Colony, Ghaziabad, with the stolen cash in his possession.