Sonamura, Dec 28: Locals of the Melaghar Motorstand area, near Lal Miya Chowmuhani, nabbed a thief on Saturday morning while attempting to steal rubber sheets. The accused, identified as Jasim Uddin, a resident of Kakraban in Udaipur, was caught red-handed by the residents during his attempt to commit theft.

At the time of his capture, Jasim was reportedly intoxicated, having consumed tablets in the Kushasara area of Kakraban forest. His story of how he became involved in theft is interesting. At one point, Jasim was allegedly involved in trafficking and selling narcotic substances along the Udaipur-Kakraban-Melaghar route. Over time, he became addicted to drugs himself. His addiction led him to a desperate need for money to buy narcotics and as a result, theft became his only option.

In search of items to steal, Jasim reached Melaghar with the hope of finding something valuable. His target was a shop at Lal Mitra Chowmuhani where he hoped to steal rubber sheets, believing they could be easily sold for cash. However, his plan failed and he was caught before he could escape.

The local youths held him for some time and made him dance to Hindi songs. In the process, he became tired and the local youths cut some of his hair. After some rough handling, he was released.

In the context of release, the local youths explained that they did not hand him over to the police because they believed authorities would simply release him, as is often the case with such offenders.