Driven by Obsession, woman impersonates doctor to steal jewellery from AIIMS Hostel

New Delhi: A 43-year-old woman, driven by a deep passion for jewellery, was arrested for stealing cash and gold jewelry from a women's hostel room at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi. 

 The accused confessed to the police that her inability to afford expensive jewellery drove her to steal, as she was deeply drawn to it. The police also revealed that she had committed multiple jewelry thefts in the past.

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This time, she disguised herself in a doctor's coat, roamed around the campus until she got her hands on the valuable ornaments and cash. As per NDTV news report, the woman stole two gold chains, a gold ring, a pair of gold earrings, a gold bracelet, Rs 4,500 cash and 522 Malaysian ringgits -- about 10,000 rupees.

According to the police, the accused - a Ghaziabad resident, holds a diploma in medical laboratory technology and a Bachelor's degree in Science, and has worked as a lab assistant at a private hospital and has been frequenting AIIMS.

The woman, wearing a doctor's coat to blend in, took advantage of the lax security and unlocked doors at the AIIMS hostel. During her visits, she noticed that many women doctors did not lock their rooms when they went to work. Taking this opportunity, she committed the crime and was arrested on Thursday. 

In a statement, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Ankit Chauhan told PTI, "She used a doctor's coat to move around the AIIMS campus without arousing suspicion and targeted hostel rooms whose doors were often left unlocked." Chauhan said Hauz Khas police registered a case under Section 305 (theft) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita on March 27, based on a doctor's complaint.

The complainant reported the theft of two gold chains, a gold bracelet, a gold ring, a pair of gold earrings, Rs 20,000 in cash, and 700 Malaysian Ringgit from the hostel room.

Police analysed footage from around 100 CCTV cameras on the AIIMS campus. It showed a woman in a doctor's coat trying to access various hostel rooms during odd hours.

After further technical surveillance, police identified the scooter used by the woman. Based on the vehicle's registration details, they raided her residence at Brij Vihar in Ghaziabad and apprehended her, the DCP said.

He said police have recovered the stolen jewellery, Rs 4,500 cash, 522 Malaysian Ringgit, and the scooter. During interrogation, the woman said she had a penchant for wearing expensive jewellery and had previously committed similar thefts, the DCP added. 

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