A 22-year-old man’s attempt to impress his girlfriend with an iPhone 16 Pro Max ended with his arrest, as he was caught stealing Rs2.5 lakh from the Ballygunge café where he worked.
The accused, Chanchal Bhuniya, allegedly used a duplicate key to access the café’s cash box in the early hours of Thursday. The theft was reported later that day at the Ballygunge police station.
Officers began suspecting an insider’s involvement when they discovered two suspicious details: the cash box was emptied without any signs of a break-in, and the CCTV recorder’s power supply had been cut at around 4:30am.
Bhuniya’s mobile call data revealed he had booked an app bike ride from his home in Mograhat, South 24-Parganas, to the Ballygunge café at around 4am — placing him at the scene shortly before the theft occurred.
Police tracked him down and arrested him at his home early Friday. Upon questioning, Bhuniya confessed he had been planning the theft for weeks to afford an expensive gift for his girlfriend.
Authorities recovered Rs49,920 in cash from his residence, and the stolen iPhone 16 Pro Max, valued at Rs1.53 lakh, was found with his girlfriend, along with the cash memo.
“Bhuniya has admitted to the crime,” confirmed Deputy Commissioner Bholanath Pandey of the Kolkata Police’s South East Division.
