NEW DELHI: First, Rs 38 lakh went missing from a builder’s house on Tuesday. On Thursday, his 14-year-old daughter was “abducted” while three of her friends went missing too. On Saturday, the girls and the cash — most of it — were found in Dehradun . What unfolded was the story of a bored schoolgirl and her devious plans for an escapade with friends, with a shopping spree thrown in.

The “robber” — 14-year-old Nithya (name changed) — told police she wanted a break from the monotony of school and studies at home and the spark of inspiration came when she heard on TV about an upcoming remake of Ocean’s Eleven where an all-woman cast led by Sandra bullock wreak havoc in a city, a source said. Nithya decided to make a run for it and flee to Dehradun and beyond. Three of her friends agreed as well. All that remained to be arranged was the funds: Nithya knew her father had received Rs 38 lakh in a land deal and the money was locked up in a safe in his room.

Nithya broke into the safe one night when her parents were away for dinner and stashed the entire cash with one of her accomplices. Then, she stayed put as the southeast Delhi police hunted for the robbers. The twist in the tale came on Thursday as Nithya and her friends went missing.

Police suspected the girls had been abducted by their male friends who may have also connived in the robbery. DCP (southeast) Mandeep Randhawa formed a special team led by ACP Anil Yadav. They began scanning mobile phone data and photographs were obtained from the parents of the other girls as well. All four mobile phones were found to have been switched off in Delhi.

A valuable tipoff came from an informer who had seen the girls boarding a taxi. Police checked nearly 400 taxis that may have plied in the area on Thursday while footage from CCTV cameras near the school and railway stations were obtained. One of the taxis was found not to have returned to base.

“When we contacted the driver, he said he had dropped these girls at a hotel in Dehradun and was on his way back. He also verified the photos through Whatsapp,” an officer said. The driver told cops that the girls had booked the cab through Justdial and gone to Nizamuddin station to catch a train to Dehradun. When they found there were no trains in the next few hours, they asked him to drive to Dehradun.

The taxi ride cost them Rs 11,000 while they booked a suite at a luxury hotel for Rs 10,000. Then followed a shopping expedition where the girls blew up Rs 80,000 on shoes, bags, glares and dresses.

The driver was asked to return to the hotel and get the manager to speak to the cops. The hotel staff were told to keep a watch on the girls, who were out shopping just then, and lock them up when they returned at night. Things worked to plan as the unsuspecting girls turned in for the night.

On Saturday morning, after hours of banging on the doors, the girls found a Delhi Police team on the other side. They took the girls into custody and recovered around Rs 37 lakh that they still had.

DCP Randhawa said the girls had been brought back to Delhi and police were deciding the next course of action. “An FIR has been registered in this regard and action will be taken as per law,” he said.

