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Journalism of Courage
MUMBAI, MAY 25: Two schoolchildren, one of them the son of a police inspector, who broke into a residential flat at Marol and robbed Rs 3.8 lakh to spend on a lavish summer holiday, have been arrested by Sakinaka police.
The delinquents, whose names have been withheld, used a hacksaw to unlock the door of a third-floor flat in Trishul Apartments, Bhavani Nagar, Marol, on the night of April 24. They forced the cupboard open and escaped with the booty.
The robbery came on light on May 2, when the flat owner, a customs officer, returned from a holiday. The juveniles were arrested from a video games parlour at Powai.
One of the boys said: 8220;Both of us took turns in using the hacksaw to unlock the door, and we were surprised to find a large amount of money in the cupboard inside the flat. We immediately decided we would go on a lavish holiday with the help of the stolen money.8221;
After they took Rs 3.8 lakh, the two saw another bunch of notes which the police later found out to be worth Rs 5 lakh but didnot take it with them.
8220;We thought the money we had taken would be sufficient for our holidays,8221; the police officer8217;s son said.
Investigations have revealed that the two boys first headed for the beaches of Goa, where they spent some money on beer and video games. Their next holiday destination was Bangalore, and they also stayed for a while at Khandala before returning to Mumbai.
Police have recovered Rs 1.8 lakh from the boys. Apparently, the duo spent an amount of almost Rs 2 lakh in nearly 25 days.
Police surgeon Dr G V Uppe said the two accused have undergone medical examination for confirmation of their juvenile status. The results of the exam are awaited, but the two could be around 18 years old, he noted.
During interrogation, the two boys said they got the idea of commiting a robbery after seeing some films. Both the boys, who are repeaters in Standard VIII, are students of a reputed school in the suburbs. One of the boys is the son of a beedi shop owner at Marol.
