French nationals held for theft, trespassing

Delhi police have arrested two French nationals, both software engineers on student visas, for fleeing with valuables from the house they had rented from a woman in Greater Kailash for a month.

Delhi police have arrested two French nationals, both software engineers on student visas, for fleeing with valuables from the house they had rented from a woman in Greater Kailash for a month.

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The French nationals are Maximilien Sottile and Khalid Abdaim. They had taken a room on rent from an Iranian woman but had fled by the time she returned from a trip to her country.

The police said the complainant was staying in India since September 2009 at a rented accommodation in Greater Kailash- I. The woman told the police that she was on holiday from June 1 to August 26 and had arranged a stay for the two French nationals.

They had come for internship in companies in India, as they were pursuing Master’s courses in France.

“There was an understanding between them as the complainant had to go to her country for nearly two months. They moved in on May 15 and shared the accommodation with her till June 1 and paid Rs 13,000 as their share,” said a senior police officer.

The police recovered a flight ticket from the house and managed to get the details of the two accused.

On Saturday, the duo was detained when they approached the immigration authorities for clearance. They confessed to taking away the complainant's belongings.