Indian Woman Questioned By US Cops For Stealing From Target, Video Viral

The video of an Indian woman's questioning by cops after she was allegedly caught shoplifting at a Target store in the US earlier this year is viral.

The clip, dated January 15, shows the woman sobbing, choking, and gasping for breath while officers try to question her. In the beginning of the exchange, an officer tells her, "Right now you're not free to leave."

As she appears to struggle with breathing, a police officer urges her to calm down. "Do me a favour, take a big breath as deep in as you can. You gotta take a deep breath. Do not hyperventilate. Cause I gotta be able to talk to you, and I can't talk to you with you breathing like that," the officer says.

Asked whether she speaks English, the woman replies, "Not very good."

The police ask what her primary language is. "Gujarati," she mumbles in reply. When the officers ask where the language is spoken, she confirms that she is from India.

She also tells the officers she did not need an interpreter. The police inquire whether she has any medical conditions, given her state of hyperventilation.

During the questioning, store staff showed the officers CCTV footage of the woman walking past the checkout with a cart full of goods. 

"So she just put everything in the cart and then just walked past," one officer remarked, to which a staff member responded, "Just walked straight out."

During questioning, the woman revealed she had a Washington-issued driver's license. The store staff also said she was a regular customer, but this was the first time she had been caught shoplifting.

The woman admitted she intended to resell some of the items she had stolen from the store. Officers informed her that she would be allowed to go, but she would need to appear in court.

In May, another Indian woman was investigated in the US for allegedly stealing merchandise worth about Rs 1.1 lakh from a Target in Illinois. She reportedly spent more than seven hours inside the store before attempting to leave with a cart full of unpaid items.

Police bodycam footage showed the woman apologising and offering to pay, saying, "I am really sorry to bother you if it is. I am not from this country. I am not going to stay here." A police officer responded, "Are you allowed to steal things in India? I did not think so."