India, Aug. 2 -- What initially appeared to be a theft of Rs.15 lakh in cash and gold ornaments from a trader's home in Machhiwara took a startling turn when police concluded that the alleged mastermind was not an outsider but the trader's 13-year-old son. Investigators said they began piecing together the case after the Class 8 student allegedly went on an extravagant spending spree, buying a high-end gaming console, multiple premium smartphones, jewellery and a Royal Enfield Bullet-purchases that they say exposed the alleged embezzlement.

The case came to light after a trader told the police that Rs.15 lakh in cash and some gold jewelry had gone missing from a hidden wall safe near the family's prayer room. CCTV footage showing a local...