Burglar gets drunk during theft in booze shop in Delhi, arrested

He has told the police that he along with his friends were inside the shop for over 30 minutes during which he consumed the store’s liquor

The Delhi Police on Saturday said they arrested a 27-year-old man who allegedly broke into a wine shop in east Delhi’s Krishna Nagar in the early hours of Thursday, adding that the suspect then consumed the store’s liquor and subsequently passed out inside the shop.

Around 5am, a head constable on patrolling duty noticed one of the two absconding suspects flee after seeing him. Immediately, the second man escaped too, the policeman said in his official statement. (Representational image)

Deputy commissioner of police (Shahdara), Rohit Meena, identified the suspect as Chaman Kumar, a resident of Nand Nagri in northeast Delhi. “We have registered a case under sections 487 (trespassing), 380 (theft) and 34 (crime committed by several persons with a common intention) of the IPC,” the DCP said.

Police said Kumar was accompanied by two others who abandoned him at the shop they spotted a policeman patrolling the area. “His associates were unable to sober Kumar up and fled after seeing the police,” they added. Kumar has at least five criminal cases registered against him at different police stations.

Kumar and his two friends used a rod-like object to break open the shutter of the store in Kanti Nagar Extension in Krishna Nagar. While a heavily drunk Kumar passed out, his associates ransacked the shop in a bid to steal liquor and cash.

“When Kumar refused to get up the other two possibly panicked and got out of the shop,” said another police officer, requesting anonymity.

Around 5am, a head constable on patrolling duty noticed one of the two absconding suspects flee after seeing him. Immediately, the second man escaped too, the policeman said in his official statement.

The head constable also spotted that the shop’s shutter was broken. He called the shopkeeper who lived elsewhere in east Delhi. The shopkeeper then sent a staffer with the key.

The shop was found ransacked, said police, adding that there was also an attempt to steal cash from the drawer. However, since Kumar was heavily drunk, all their effort went into trying to sober him up, the DCP added.

The policeman spotted Kumar lying inside after which he was apprehended and then formally arrested.

He has told the police that he along with his friends were inside the shop for over 30 minutes during which he consumed the store’s liquor.