Mumbai: Son Steals Gold Chain to Buy Mother a Shih Tzu Dog as a Gift

A boy took a misguided step to gift his mother something she wanted. His mother had taken a liking to a Shih Tzu dog, and the boy wanted to surprise her with it. However, he didn't have the money to buy the dog. Desperate to get the money quickly, the boy decided to steal a gold chain and sold it to pay the dog owner.

In Ghatkopar West, near the Ganpati Temple in Bhatiwadi, a woman named Vaishali Tiwari (44) was walking when a young man suddenly snatched the gold chain from her neck. After Tiwari filed a complaint at the Ghatkopar Police Station, the investigation was launched under the guidance of Police Inspector Dipali Kulkarni. Sub-Inspector Kailas Tirmare, along with Sub-Inspector Padmakar Patil and their team, began their inquiry by checking CCTV footage from nearly 55 locations. With the help of clear footage and informants, they identified the suspect. Acting on this information, the police raided the suspect's house and arrested Vinayak Shelke (21) for stealing Vaishali’s gold chain. During questioning, the motive behind the crime was revealed.

Shelke had told his family that he was working at a hotel, but in reality, he was unemployed. Believing her son had a job, his mother asked for a Shih Tzu dog as a gift. Shelke bought the puppy from an acquaintance and gave it to his mother, but he didn’t have the 25,000 rupees needed to pay for it. The dog owner was aggressive, and Shelke feared that if he didn’t pay, the owner might harm him. Driven by this fear, Shelke decided he needed to pay the money as soon as possible. To do so, he snatched Vaishali’s chain on July 7, sold it, and paid the dog owner with the proceeds.