Check out my saree: Domestic helps steal, flaunt expensive stuff on Instagram, WhatsApp status

The urge to showcase luxury on social media has led to several instances where domestic workers steal from their employers In recent months four such incidents have resulted in arrests after the accused showed off stolen items online Homeowners expressed a sense of betrayal to midday noting that the actions of these individuals have made them doubt the integrity of othersAccording to psychiatrists and experts many individuals are trapped in a fantasy world ldquoThey believe that posting such videos on social media reflects success but in reality itrsquos simply a pursuit of famerdquo Dr Sagar Mundada psychiatrist and deaddiction expert saidThe domestic worker who was seen wearing stolen glasses on WhatsApp right The accused posing with a stolen watchldquoThe youth are now living in a fake world not the real one They learn and believe everything they see on social media Domestic workers think that by gaining fame online they are achieving success but thatrsquos far from reality When they get time they check Instagram Facebook and other platforms Employers must build trust with new hires gradually and monitor them while also regularly reviewing CCTV footagerdquoWhatsApp statusA recent incident involved Rupali Singh a domestic worker from Kandivali East who stole items worth R35 lakh including a watch clothes sarees tshirts jeans and perfume After quitting her job Singh posted photos on WhatsApp in which she was wearing sunglasses the stolen watch and clothes and gifting the stolen saree to her mother The homeowner reported the theft to the Samta Nagar police who are now tracking herAdvocate Sunil PandeyThe homeowner said ldquoWe hired Rupali Singh just 15 months ago and paid her Rs 20000 for cleaning She shattered our trust by stealing our expensive items After a trip to Thailand we bought clothes a limitededition watch a saree and perfume among other things She took everything and fled My wife discovered the theft when she saw Rupalirsquos WhatsApp statusrdquoSingh was reportedly addicted to Instagram and Facebook often spending her free time watching reels or calling family members ldquoWe questioned her about the missing items but she ignored us so we alerted the police They need to teach her a lesson to prevent future incidentsrdquo the homeowner added The stolen goods included diamond and kundan jewellery a luxury watch sunglasses and Rs 2 lakh in cashSocial media presenceIn another incident a domestic worker from Kandivli stole luxury jewellery designer clothes from Dubai and Singapore and an Apple watch She posted reels on Instagram and other platforms featuring the stolen items Upon investigation she admitted to stealing the goods to maintain the imsage that she was living lavishly on social media and even helped her boyfriend buy a motorcycle with the stolen moneyDr Sagar Mundada psychiatristA similar case in Malad involved Sunita Piplode a 23yearold domestic worker from Dombivli She was hired for cooking and cleaning but stole jewellery from her employer The theft was uncovered when the employer noticed the same jewellery in her sisterrsquos WhatsApp status Unable to reach Piplode the employer reported the case to the Malad policeIn Delhi a domestic worker named Neetu Yadav was arrested for stealing gold ornaments to buy a DSLR camera to create highquality videos for Instagram and YouTube She confessed to the theft hoping the camera would help her gain social media fame In Bangalore Renuka another domestic worker was caught after uploading a selfie wearing a necklace she had stolen months earlier The police recovered the necklace along with a gold chain from the accusedNot black and whiteHowever not all cases are straightforward High court advocate Sunil Pandey told midday ldquoIn many cases domestic workers are falsely accused by employers to avoid paying their salaries I handled a case where an NRI NonResident Indian couple falsely implicated their domestic worker holding her hostage and refusing to pay her Sadly therersquos no law to protect domestic workers from such harassment and mental torturerdquoThe advocate added ldquoThere were no independent witnesses and the evidence presented was from the complainantrsquos side Domestic workers are the backbone of many families but their vulnerable position makes them easy targets for influential peoplerdquoAn official from the Bookmybai agency commented ldquoWe verify domestic workers before hiring them If anyone is caught stealing they are blacklisted and never hired againrdquo It should be noted that none of the accused were hired from the aforementioned agency