Ex-actor held for stealing Rs 75,000, gold, wallets in Kolkata. Arrested twice in 3 years

Police said Dutta was once a familiar face in Kolkata’s acting circles, having appeared in Hindi serial ‘Jai Maa Vaishnodevi’ and several Bengali films. (AI-generated image)

A former actor has been arrested in Kolkata for allegedly stealing gold ornaments and cash from a woman’s purse at a shop in Posta on October 15. This marks her second arrest in three years, the Times of India reported.

Rupa Dutta is a former actor who has also worked on television serials and films. Joint Commissioner of Police (crime and traffic) Rupesh Kumar confirmed that Dutta, 42, was detained near Nandaram Market in Burrabazar on Thursday night after CCTV footage and technical surveillance linked her to the theft.

"CCTV footage of the place of occurrence and nearby areas was collected and analysed. Acting on a tip-off and technical surveillance, cops started to keep a watch on the Burrabazar area. A team from the Watch Section of the detective department, with the help of a woman officer, caught Dutta from near Nanda Ram Market on Brabourne Road on Thursday afternoon," Kumar told the publication.

She was produced in court on Friday and remanded to police custody until November 7.

Missing purse led to arrest

Police said the victim, Dipa Agarwal, reported that her purse was stolen between 4.15 pm and 4.30 pm while shopping in Adi Bashtala Lane. The bag contained a gold mangalsutra (20 g), a gold chain with Vaishno Devi locket (21 g), two gold bracelets (13 g and 9 g), and Rs 4,000 in cash.

Investigators also recovered jewellery weighing about 63 g from Dutta’s Garcha Road residence following interrogation.

Not her first offense

In 2022, Dutta was caught for pickpocketing at the Kolkata Book Fair. She was nabbed after discarding a wallet in a dustbin; her bag then revealed Rs 75,000 in cash and multiple wallets.

Police said Dutta was once a familiar face in Kolkata’s acting circles, having appeared in Hindi serial ‘Jai Maa Vaishnodevi’ and several Bengali films. “Some CCTV images, which will be crucial to the investigation, have been obtained,” an officer said.