Two minor girls sell stolen gold worth Rs 15 lakh to fund mall outings

Panaji: Two minor girls allegedly stole gold ornaments worth Rs 15 lakh from a house and sold them to local jewellers, spending the money on themselves and playing arcade games at malls, police said. A taxi driver accused of assisting them in selling the jewellery has been arrested.

According to police, a 14-year-old girl came into contact with a 17-year-old girl through social media nearly eight months ago. Police said the older girl had allegedly posed as a male online while communicating with the younger girl.

Last week, both girls suddenly went missing, prompting the parents of the 14-year-old to file a complaint with Old Goa police. Since the girl was a minor, police registered a kidnapping case and launched a search operation.

The two girls were later traced in Bicholim and subsequently placed at Apna Ghar, a shelter home, officials said.

During the investigation, the family of the 14-year-old informed police that gold ornaments worth approximately Rs 15 lakh were missing from their residence. Police then registered a separate theft case and began probing the matter further.

A senior police officer said investigators found that the 14-year-old had allegedly been taking gold ornaments from her home over a period of time. The jewellery was then reportedly sold to local jewellers with the assistance of the 17-year-old girl and a taxi driver, who allegedly helped facilitate the transactions. The money was then shared among them.

Police said the girls frequently visited malls, where they spent money on recreational activities, including ball games at gaming zones.