Why celebrities including Hollywood or Bollywood stars shoplift or steal? The question has baffled millions because these celebrities have everything at their command. The latest is the case of a high profile Indian banker Paras Shah. Citigroup has suspended him in getting an annual package of 9.2 crore caught on camera stealing food and suspended.
The high profile banker was London based and has been suspended after he was accused of stealing food from the office canteen. Paras Shah, who was apparently earning a handsome seven-digit salary (in British pounds), was suspended after he stole food from the canteen at Citibank’s European headquarters in Canary Wharf, London. In Indian currency, Shah took home almost 9.2 crore per year.
This brings to mind; several famous celebrities and others who had been indulging in shoplifting and had been arrested or shamed after clips of them in CCTVs went viral. One of the most famous shoplifting cases in Hollywood involves actress Winona Ryder, who stole over $5,000 worth of designer clothing and accessories at the Beverly Hills Saks Fifth Avenue sometime back. Ryder was convicted of grand theft, shoplifting, and vandalism, but was later acquitted to a burglary charge.
A few years later, Lindsay Lohan made headlines after being charged with taking a necklace from a jewelry store. She had walked out of a jewellery store with a $2,500 necklace. Other alleged celebrity thieves include Amanda Bynes and Farrah Fawcett.
Megan Fox allegedly took makeup from a Walmart. In fact, celebrities, especially movie stars are quite fortunate to have all they want, but have been found stealing. There have been several instances of famous celebrities caught stealing their favorite items from a local supermarket or specialty showrooms.
Some of these big celebrities like Britney Spears and Megan Fox had to spend some time in jail for their rather mischievous acts. Coming to the latest incident as quoted by the Financial Times, the 31-year-old Shah abruptly left his post last month as Citi’s head of high-yield bond trading for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, after being accused of food theft. Shah was one of the highest-profile credit traders in Europe. “He was a well-liked and successful trader,” his two former colleagues were quoted as saying. Paras Shah had joined Citigroup in 2017 after working for seven years with the HSBC. His suspension came weeks before Citigroup was due to pay bonuses to their senior staff.
In India, last year a police constable in Chennai was caught shoplifting on camera in a supermarket in Chetpet area. The CCTV footage shows policewoman Nandini picking up items and stuffing them in her pocket as she talks on the phone.
Also a video of an Indian family caught stealing a plethora of accessories from a hotel in Bali had gone viral on social media. The video, which is 2:20 minutes long, shows one of the hotel staff scanning the family’s luggage as they were on their way out from the hotel. In the video, a woman can be seen arguing with the officials from the hotel who seem to be vigorously going through the suitcases. Apparently, the family had “stolen” whatever they could get their hands on — which included decorative items, toiletries, electronics, towels and so on. The security officials can be seen telling the family that they’d managed to steal ‘everything’ from the hotel room, including hangars.
She repeatedly asks the officials to let them go since they had a flight to catch. She even offers to pay for the stuff they’d stolen. A man also can be heard saying, “I will pay.” However, the hotel officials refused to accept payment.
letters@tehelka.com
