RAJKOT: While it is said an apple doesn't fall far off from the tree, a 13-year-old son of a suspended cop put the department in a major embarrassing spot after he was caught red-handed stealing liquor from the police's custody room in Jamnagar.
On Saturday, home guard jawans guarding the muddamal (seized material) room, heard some noise coming from inside the room located in the sprawling Jamnagar police headquarters compound. Upon checking, they noticed the room's rear door broken, its grill removed and the inside door unlatched. Cops pursued the trail and alighted upon the young boy, holding bottles of liquor.
They detained the teen and took him to the police station where his confession was a major revelation even for the cops who were caught napping, literally.
The teen confessed to stealing 317 bottles of Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL), including some expensive brands besides seven cans of beer. If that wasn't all, the juvenile rubbed salt by adding that he had been stealing liquor from the room since April this year.
The entire liquor stock kept in the room was seized by C-division police station in various raids. When the stock was verified again, it came to light that he had stolen liquor worth Rs 1,55,500 over the last three months. Police also seized two beer tins and 29 bottles from his house located in the same campus.
A complaint has been lodged against the boy by Dhavalgiri Gosai, head constable cum writer, who is responsible for the stock room's maintenance and safety. The boy was booked under relevant sections of IPC and Prohibition Act.
"The boy, whose father was placed under suspension after being caught in a bribery case, used to sell the liquor to earn his pocket money which had stopped coming after his father's suspension. Whenever he was in need of money, he would break into the room and take away a few bottles," an investigating officer of B-division police station told TOI.
