New Jersey: Two Indian students, aged 20 and 21, originally from Hyderabad, Telangana, and Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, respectively, have been apprehended for suspected shoplifting at a grocery store in the United States. The incident occurred at a ShopRite outlet in Hoboken, New Jersey, where the store staff accused the duo of failing to pay for several items they had picked.Having relocated to the US to pursue higher education at the Stevens Institute of Technology, the young women found themselves in legal trouble after allegedly attempting to leave the store without paying for 27 items, amounting to USD 155 in value.Offers to pay double goes in vainDespite offering to pay the full amount for the items or even double the sum as restitution, the students were detained by the Hoboken city police on charges of shoplifting. During questioning, one of the women cited a limited balance in her account as the reason for not paying, while the other claimed forgetfulness. However, law enforcement officials emphasized the gravity of their actions, culminating in their arrest.Bodycam footage released by the Hoboken Police shows them arresting two female international students from India for alleged shoplifting at a ShopRite. Both are graduate students at Stevens Institute of Technology (@FollowStevens) and are repeat shoplifters.“Will this affect us… pic.twitter.com/yDq6S7DELF— U.S. Tech Workers (@USTechWorkers) April 9, 2024In addition to facing legal consequences, the students were required to provide written assurance that they would refrain from revisiting the store in the future, as per police instructions.Walmart shop lifting incidentThis incident underscores the seriousness of shoplifting offenses in the US, with previous cases involving individuals of Indian origin making headlines. In a notable incident in 2015, two Indian women were captured on security footage stealing razors worth USD 4,500 from a Walmart store in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The footage depicted the women, accompanied by a young child, pilfering the razors before hastily departing the premises in a minivan.As the legal proceedings unfold, this incident serves as a cautionary tale for individuals, highlighting the legal repercussions of engaging in unlawful activities abroad.
