From 80s AI trend to 45-year-old theft case: Kahaani mein twist

An 80s-style Instagram trend has reportedly helped revive a 45-year-old jewellery theft case in Ujjain, after a retro photo became a clue to an old theft case

What started as an Instagram trend celebrating 80s-style pictures has reportedly ended up bringing a 45-year-old theft case back into spotlight. It’s in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, where the trend -- which has seen social media users turning their pictures into retro-looking portraits -- apparently become a clue in an old jewellery theft case.

What started as an Instagram trend celebrating 80s-style pictures has reportedly ended up bringing a 45-year-old theft case back into spotlight. (Photo: AI Generated(For representational purpose only))

What happened?

a woman who had allegedly stolen a gold necklace from a jewellery shop in Ujjain around 45 years ago, had never been traced. Decades later, the woman reportedly joined the viral AI trend and posted a picture of herself in the retro avatar. The photo is said to have caught the attention of the jewellery shop owner, who recognised her and shared his suspect that she is the same person linked to the decades-old theft.

What followed?

A trip from Instagram nostalgia soon turned into the reopening of an old police case. Upon spotting the familiarityi n the photo, the shop owner approached the police, which in turn looked into the woman’s identity and referred to the old complaint. During questioning, she reportedly admitted to the theft.

What social media says?

An X user @ManiYogini posted about this news on her account, stating “Time really does have a strange way of catching up with you. Especially when you put your own face on the internet... Going back to the ’80s turned out to be a little too expensive!”. Commenting on this, one social media user wrote ‘Such a twissst to 80’s trend’ and another commented ‘Ohhh...Ye to alag hi kuch hogyaaaa’.