A 25-year-old man in Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain district has been arrested after CCTV footage allegedly captured him repeatedly stealing a married neighbour’s undergarments from outside her house. The unusual incident has surprised residents in the locality and raised concerns among neighbours about security in the area.
The case came to light in the jurisdiction of the Chimanganj police station after a family reported that women’s undergarments kept outside their home to dry had been going missing frequently. According to the police, the complaint was filed by a family living in the Dhancha Bhavan area of the city. The family told authorities that clothes they had washed and hung on a rope outside their residence were disappearing late at night on multiple occasions.
Initially unsure about how the items were going missing, the family began suspecting that someone might be deliberately stealing them. To verify their suspicions, they checked the CCTV cameras installed around their house. After reviewing the footage, they reportedly noticed a young man approaching their home during late-night hours and removing the undergarments from the clothesline.
The CCTV video showed the suspect carefully looking around the surroundings to ensure that no one was present or watching. After confirming that the area was quiet, he allegedly removed the undergarments hanging on the clothesline and quickly left the location.
The family then shared the CCTV footage with local police, which helped investigators identify the suspect. Based on the evidence, the police tracked down and arrested the accused, who was identified as Ankit Malviya, a 25-year-old resident of the same locality. According to officials, Malviya lived in the neighbourhood and was known to the complainant’s family.
During interrogation, the accused reportedly admitted to stealing the undergarments. Police officials said that he told investigators he had developed an obsessive attraction toward the married woman and had formed a one-sided attachment to her. According to the police, Malviya claimed that this obsession motivated him to commit the thefts.
Further investigation revealed another unusual detail. Police stated that the accused had tattooed the woman’s name on his chest, which they believe indicates the extent of his fixation. Authorities are continuing to question him in order to gather additional information about the incidents.
Legal proceedings have been initiated against the accused, and the police are examining the case under relevant provisions of the law. The incident has drawn attention in the neighbourhood, with many residents expressing shock over the unusual nature of the crime.
Following the arrest, police officials have also advised residents to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious activities in their neighbourhoods so that similar incidents can be prevented in the future.
