Man caught stealing laptop on CCTV at airport

The security force at the city airport caught a 50-year-old man allegedly stealing a co-passenger’s laptop, courtesy the closed-circuit television camera footage.

The security force at the city airport caught a 50-year-old man allegedly stealing a co-passenger’s laptop, courtesy the closed-circuit television camera (CCTV) footage.

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This is the second case in less than three weeks.

On Sunday, at 10 pm, businessman Shashank Gang, who was to board an Air India flight to Jodhpur, forgot his laptop at the security hold.

The CCTV footage caught Jayant Chandra Rai (50), who was travelling to Ranchi, loitering in the area for 15 minutes before picking up the laptop, said a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) official.

Minutes after boarding his flight, Gang realised that he had misplaced his laptop and asked his relative, who had come to see him off, to collect it.

By the time the relative contacted the airport manager, Rai had boarded his Ranchi-bound flight via Patna.

“The flight left before we could arrest him,” said the CISF official.

The CISF personnel sent Rai’s photograph via e-mail to their counterparts at the Patna airport.

The security officials there checked all fliers getting off at the Bihar capital, but none of them resembled Rai’s grainy CCTV image.

Rai was still inside the aircraft as his final destination was Ranchi.

The CISF jawans entered the aircraft and found Rai, who refused to open his belongings.

“Initially he denied the charge, but promptly changed the statement after we seized the laptop from his baggage,” said the CISF official.

The CISF has registered a case of theft at the Airport police station in Mumbai.

“Our team is leaving for Patna,” said Nitin Indurkar, senior police inspector of the Airport police station.

This is the second case of airport theft where the accused was caught on CCTV.

On March 24, a Briton of Indian origin was caught on CCTV picking a mobile phone left at the security hold by a co-passenger.