This incident is of Delhi. 

On January 30, Kamlesh, 65, a resident of Sewak Park in Uttam Nagar, approached the police to lodge a case of burglary at her residence. Gold coins, several necklaces and gold earrings worth Rs 15 lakh, along with Rs 25,000 in cash, were reportedly stolen.

While scanning CCTV footage, police found that a burqa-clad woman, with a yellow bag in hand, had entered the house between 2 pm and 2.30 pm on the said date. On further investigation, police found that the woman was none other than Shweta, Kamlesh’s elder daughter. 

Police said the 31-year-old had committed the theft because she was envious of her younger sister Monica, as she believed her mother was partial towards her, and decided to stole the jewellery set aside for her wedding, which was scheduled in a few days.

Police said Shweta was also in some debt, including Rs 90,000 that she had borrowed from her mother, and carried out the theft to repay the amount. Police said Shweta’s mother had been pressuring her to return the loan, albeit in small installments of Rs 5,000 to 10,000.

Shweta was arrested from her Mohan Garden home on Saturday.

“The team analysed CCTV footage of the spot, and found that a woman in a black burqa had entered the house. Eventually, after questioning different family members, we reached Shweta, the elder daughter of the complainant,” the police said. 

The officer said during questioning, Shweta revealed that she resented her younger sister due to her mother’s fondness towards her. “Besides, she had some debt which she had to repay due to which she hatched this plan to steal from her own house,” said the officer.

“On January 30, Shweta stole the keys and went out on the pretext of buying vegetables,” the DCP added.

She then went to the Uttam Nagar West Metro Station, 350 m from her Mohan Garden residence, changed into a burqa at the washroom there, and left for her mother’s house.

“Once the matter came to light, she expressed regret about the theft… she further stated that she sold the jewellery at a nearby jewellery shop,” added the DCP.

Police said the stolen items included Shweta’s own jewellery, which she had given to her mother during the Covid lockdown in 2020. Police said Shweta had taken a loan of Rs 1.5 lakh from different people.Police said Kamlesh, who goes by only one name, is a pensioner. Her husband, a government servant, died in 1997. Monica works for an AI company in Delhi. 

Shweta is a housewife and the mother of a four-year-old girl. Her husband, who works at a private firm in Noida, did not know about her intentions, said police.

An FIR  under IPC Section 380 (theft from a dwelling house) was registered in the case.