Undergarments worth Rs 10,000 stolen from Varanasi shop; 3 women booked

Varanasi, Feb 27 (PTI) Police have booked three women for theft for allegedly stealing undergarments worth around Rs 10,000 from a shop in the Chetganj area, an officer said on Friday.

Chetganj Station House Officer Vijay Kumar Shukla said, according to shop owner Sudeep Singh, the theft occurred on February 24 after three women came to his shop.

"When the salesgirl went inside to bring items, the women allegedly stuffed undergarments worth about Rs 10,000 into their bags," he said, citing the complaint.

"Singh detected the theft during stock verification and subsequently approached Chetganj police station to lodge a complaint," he said.

The shopkeeper submitted CCTV footage of the incident.

Investigators have identified one of the accused women, who earlier served as president of a traders' association.

After a purported video of the incident went viral, one of the accused, Sunita Soni, issued a statement in her defence.

She said she had gone to the market and that the women accompanying her had come from Jaunpur.

She claimed that certain items were unavailable at the shop and that she had left her mobile number there to collect them after a week.

"I am not aware of what the women accompanying me may have taken from the shop. I will fully cooperate with the shop owner and the police administration," she said. PTI COR KIS VN VN