An Indian woman was detained by Illinois police for allegedly shoplifting goods worth USD 1300 (Rs 1,11,748) from a Target store.
A bodycam video capturing the woman’s interaction with police officials has gone viral on social media, with many netizens expressing anger and disgust over her behaviour.
The woman, who told officials she was visiting the United States, was caught by a Target store employee after attempting to leave with a trolley full of unpaid items. She is believed to have spent seven hours browsing aisles, checking her phone, and collecting items before trying to exit.
“She was roaming around for hours and eventually tried to walk out the west gate without paying,” a Target employee says in the video.
When confronted by the police, she is repeatedly heard saying, “I can pay,” pleading with officers to let her go and urging them to “end the matter.”
However, the officers flatly refused, saying the opportunity to pay had passed. “You want to pay now, but you weren’t paying for it previously,” one officer is heard saying.
When asked for identification, the woman initially gave a name that did not match the Indian ID proof she later provided.
She told officers she does not reside in the US and that her family lives in India. “I don’t want to get into any trouble. I haven’t done anything yet,” she pleaded. To which one officer responded, “Are you allowed to steal things in India?”
As she is being taken to the station, she says, “It is very embarrassing. I want to go home. I have a 20-year-old daughter.” The officer snaps back, saying, “Then you should have been a good role model for her.”
The video concludes with the woman being charged with felony theft and taken to the station for further processing.
Internet reacts
The footage sparked widespread anger among netizens, with several questioning her intent and others commenting on the cultural implications.
“Who steals for 7 hours? That’s a whole shift at Subway – girl, go apply,” a user said.
“There’s no language barrier. She knows exactly what she’s doing,” another user said.
“Being an immigrant, I can’t fathom the audacity of being a guest to this country and breaking its laws,” expressed another user.
“She is EXHAUSTING!!! The female officer handled that so well. I would have lost my mind!!!” said another.
One comment read, “She’s playing dumb and takes American law as a joke, period. She’s so unserious.”
Several users criticised the assumptions being made about Indians. “Yes, what she did is wrong, and she should face the consequences. But let’s not generalise an entire group over one person,” one of the users said.
Another user said, “Judging a whole community over a single incident is weak logic. This shouldn’t be turned into a stereotype.”
Follow on Twitter | Posted by Veena Nair | 
