Mumbai: Youth takes loan to buy iPhone, steals to repay sum; arrested

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A 23-year-old man, a resident of Parksite in Vikhroli, was arrested by the Vikhroli police last week for allegedly snatching a schoolteacher's handbag for money. The incident took place in the Kannamwar Nagar area.

According to the teacher, Nancy Almeda (name changed), 56, she had gone to Ghatkopar railway station on the afternoon of April 25. As she was heading home, she realised she was wearing a gold chain. "It was my husband's birthday the previous day, which is why I wore the gold chain, but I felt it might be unsafe, so I removed it and placed it inside my handbag," she said in her statement.

Junaid Khan took a loan from a random online app for the iPhone

Almeda reached Vikhroli from Ghatkopar and while walking towards her house, she entered a narrow lane on the service road when the accused on a bike suddenly approached from behind, snatched her handbag, and fled the scene. Nancy immediately approached the police and registered an FIR against the unknown biker. Though the case appeared straightforward, the police began investigating the matter. Crime Branch officials from Unit 7 assisted the Vikhroli police in tracing the accused.

"We knew the accused would attempt to sell the gold chain, so we focused on that angle first. The crime scene area was too narrow for a CCTV camera to capture the accused person's face. Identifying him through the sale of the gold chain was our first major breakthrough, which also helped establish that he was a local," said a police officer involved in the investigation. However, when the accused, identified as Junaid Khan from Parksite, was arrested and confessed to the crime, his motive left the police somewhat speechless.

"He wanted an iPhone but didn't have the money. His father works as a welder, and though he is a graduate, he remains unemployed. The urge to own an iPhone drove him to take an online loan using a random financial application. After successfully obtaining the loan, he purchased the iPhone, but repaying it became a challenge as he was still without a job. As the monthly EMIs became due, he struggled to make payments and began receiving warnings from the loan provider. Realising that the situation could escalate if he failed to repay, he became desperate for quick cash," said the police officer.

He had purchased a second-hand iPhone for Rs 35,000, taking out a Rs 40,000 loan from an online mobile application to finance it. Nancy's gold chain, weighing nine grams, was valued at around Rs 30,000 at the time when she bought it. Khan sold the chain for Rs 55,000 to repay the loan with the interest.

A family member of Khan told the police that most of the family members are labourers or wage workers. "They were unaware of what Junaid did. He was often seen sitting with his friends, playing games, or watching videos on his phone. There would be frequent arguments about him not seeking a job despite completing his graduation. The family had no knowledge of him taking a loan for the mobile phone," said an official. After the arrest, Khan was first remanded to police custody, and then to remanded to judicial custody by the court.