12-year-old boy caught stealing phone outside Mount Mary church on Christmas

The Bandra police said this was the first time the boy had been involved in a crime and has been sent to Dongri correction home.

A 12-year-old boy, who was trained by two youths to steal a mobile phone, was caught in the act outside Mount Mary church on December 25. The Bandra police said this was the first time the boy had been involved in a crime and has been sent to Dongri correction home.

Picture for representation

A Bandra police official said lakhs of people had gathered around the church that day owing to Christmas celebrations. Taking advantage of this, the 12-year-old boy, tutored by two men, started walking behind a Shilpa Nima, 40, a school teacher. Nima was returning home from the church, where she had gone with her husband. She told the police, “There was too much crowd and I felt like my purse moved a bit. I turned around and saw the boy pull out my mobile phone and pass it to a youth, who further passed it to another man, who ran away. I managed to catch the boy who too tried to run. He fell and hurt himself.”

The crowd helped catch Dinanath Bhosle ,19, one of two aides, but the third one managed to flee the spot with the mobile phone worth Rs12,000. The police got the boy treated for his injuries and then sent him to Dongri correction home. Bhosle was arrested and sent to police custody. The three are residents of shanties near MHADA ground in Bandra (West).

Senior police inspector Pandit Thakare of Bandra police station, told HT, “This is the first time the boy was caught committing a crime. As per the procedure, he has been sent to the Child Welfare Committee that has sent him to the correction home.”