4 women among 5 held for ‘involvement’ in Chandigarh house theft, stolen items recovered

He reported a theft at his brother’s place, House No. 120, Sector 38A, Chandigarh. As per the complaint, items stolen from the house included Rs 23,000 in cash, six mobile phones, mobile earbuds, two cameras, three branded wristwatches, one trimmer, a power bank, various jewellery items, and a black bag.

Acting on a tip-off, the police apprehended Nazim, alias Arman, a 25-year-old resident of Small Flats, Dhanas, on June 25. During his arrest, the police recovered Rs 10,000 in cash, a Kotak 35mm camera with cover, four stolen mobile phones, one trimmer, iPhone earbuds, and a pouch containing gold- and silver-like jewellery.

During interrogation, Nazim said that he was a drug addict and used to search for unoccupied or vacated homes to commit theft. To sustain his drug addiction, he would sell stolen items to local women in exchange for heroin.

Based on the information provided by Nazim during police remand on June 27, four women were identified as his co-accused and were arrested from Sector 38, Chandigarh.

These included Maya, Meenu, Roopa, and Jinna. The police recovered stolen items from these accused, including two mobile phones, one camera, three wristwatches, and one mobile power bank.

Police said that Nazim was previously involved in a theft case registered at Sarangpur police station in 2024. Maya has a past record under the NDPS Act from 2017. Meenu, too, has been previously booked under NDPS-related charges in 2022 and 2025.

Roopa was involved in a serious case registered in 2024 under multiple sections of the BNS including 121(1), 132, 226, and 3(5). Jinna did not have a previous record mentioned but was found in possession of one wristwatch and a mobile power bank linked to the stolen property.

According to police, the modus operandi involved Nazim identifying and breaking into houses that were temporarily unoccupied. He would then exchange the stolen goods for heroin with the co-accused women who were known to him and active in the area. All the arrested individuals have now been sent to judicial custody.

The investigation is ongoing, and more arrests or recoveries may follow, said the police.