A jewelry thief bewildered all of India's political class when he turned himself in to police, confessed to the crime and explained his motive.
Kiran Kumar, 23, said that he stole the jewelry after years of searching for work and money to help a polio-stricken cousin pay for surgery.
"Fed up" with oppressive inequality in the country, the man decided to take matters into his own hands.
"We were desperate for money to fulfill our dream. "I tried masonry, plumbing and electric-wiring work, but only got poorer with every passing day," Kumar told the police.
Kumar, who provides for his mother and four siblings, revealed that he and his fugitive associate chiseled through the brick wall of a jewelry store, threw guard dogs off of their scent with chili powder, and escaped with nearly $100,000 worth of gold necklaces, earrings, emeralds and pendants.
"If you are poor, no one cares about you. No one gave a damn about what I wanted to do in life. My cousin Anand needs money to undergo a surgery. We tried to get help, but no one cared," he said.
Ten police units were searching the country when Kumar turned himself in at a local television station.
"Politicians are thieves who loot us for five years, and I became a thief just for a night to show the world the growing inequality in the country. "If given a chance, I can serve the society better than any politician," he added.
Despite its growing economy, India, one of second populous country int the world, remains one of the poorest states in South Asia.
Population below $1.25 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $1.25 a day at 2005 international prices.
According to the latest World Bank data, 33 percent of India's population lived in extreme poverty, which on less that $1.25 a day, in 2010.
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