19-year-old Instagram 'star' held for 'stealing' copper wire

Latur (Maharashtra), May 28 (PTI) A 19-year-old woman with thousands of followers on Instagram has been arrested here for allegedly stealing copper wire from a construction site, police said on Thursday.

Acting on a tip-off, a Local Crime Branch team led by inspector Sudhakar Bawkar intercepted Priya Jitendra Kamble (19) near a school on Wednesday, an official said.

During questioning, Kamble allegedly confessed to stealing copper wire from an under-construction site near Buddha Vihar in the Prakash Nagar area and selling it to scrap dealers, he said.

Police were taken by surprise to learn that she was active on Instagram under the name ‘Queen Reel Star’ and had nearly 32,000 followers.

Police recovered Rs 41,000, believed to be the proceeds from

the sale of the stolen copper wire, from her possession.

A case of copper wire theft had already been registered at the MIDC police station which took Kamble in its custody and was conducting further probe, the official said. PTI COR KRK