“It Was Just One Phone”
A Trip to Mumbai That Ended Behind Bars
Kunal, a 21-year-old young man from Surat, came to Mumbai for a short trip. He worked in diamond drilling, earning around ₹45,000 a month, and had no known history of crime. He arrived at Mumbai Central railway station around 10 a.m., completed some Aadhaar-related work at the post office, and spent the rest of the day exploring the city.
Later, he visited a beer bar, consumed alcohol, had dinner, and returned to the Mumbai Central Metro station. After eating, he went to the station washroom. There, he noticed a mobile phone lying unattended.
Kunal had consumed several beers and reported that he was heavily intoxicated at the time. In that moment, he picked up the phone and placed it in his bag. It was a decision that lasted only a few seconds.
But CCTV footage captured the incident, the phone was traced to him, and Kunal was arrested for theft. A trip to Mumbai had suddenly turned into a criminal case.
A Stolen Phone… Or a Moment of Impulsive Behaviour?
When we hear about theft, it is easy to assume that the act was carefully planned. Yet human behaviour can be influenced by several factors, including substance use, impulsivity, emotional state, and the ability to consider consequences in a particular moment.
Understanding these factors does not excuse the offence. Rather, it helps us understand what may have contributed to the behaviour and where intervention may be possible.
According to the history explored during counselling through Global Care Foundation, this was reportedly the first such incident in Kunal’s life.
The Young Man Behind the Offence
Kunal’s history revealed that alcohol had been a regular part of his life. He reported consuming approximately three to four beers every Sunday for the past five to six years. On the day of the incident, alcohol was again involved.
From a psychological perspective, intoxication can affect judgement, reduce inhibition, and make it harder to pause and consider consequences. A person who might normally recognise that an action is wrong may make a different decision when their judgement is impaired.
The important question, therefore, is not only “Why did he take the phone?”, but also “What influenced his ability to stop himself in that moment?”
The Story Did Not Begin at the Metro Station
As the case history was explored further, Kunal’s family background revealed another layer of his life.
His parents were divorced, with his mother living in Delhi and his father in Surat. Kunal lives with his father and two younger brothers. His relationship with his family has reportedly involved considerable conflict.
His parents’ relationship was marked by repeated arguments, mistrust, and his father’s alcohol use. Growing up around such conflict can influence how a young person develops coping mechanisms and responds to stress.
This does not mean that his family circumstances caused the offence. Instead, they form part of the wider context in which his behaviour needs to be understood.
A Young Man Trying to Build His Life
Despite these difficulties, Kunal had been working, studying, earning, and developing his own relationships. He had been in a relationship for around a year and was also trying to establish greater independence in his personal life.
His story therefore presents a contrast: a young man with work, education, relationships, and future aspirations, alongside a long-standing pattern of alcohol use and one impulsive decision that brought him into the criminal justice system.
This reminds us that a person cannot always be understood through a single incident.
Could the Story Have Ended Differently?
Could those few seconds have unfolded differently? Possibly.
Greater awareness of how alcohol affects his judgement, along with stronger impulse-control and decision-making skills, may have helped Kunal recognise the consequences before acting.
Counselling can help address these areas by exploring substance-use patterns, identifying triggers, strengthening self-control, and developing healthier coping strategies.
Through counselling support at Global Care Foundation, the focus can be on helping Kunal understand the factors behind his behaviour, take responsibility for his actions, and work toward preventing similar situations in the future.
The mistake cannot be erased, but the pattern behind it can be understood and changed.
What This Story Reveals About Human Behaviour
This case highlights several important lessons:
- A single offence does not necessarily define a person’s entire behavioural pattern.
- Alcohol can affect judgement, inhibition, and decision-making.
- Growing up with an alcoholic parent may influence a person’s emotional development, coping patterns, and attitudes toward substance use and conflict.
- Family conflict can influence emotional development and coping.
- Understanding an offence does not mean excusing it.
- Early psychological intervention can help reduce the risk of repeated harmful behaviour.
- Rehabilitation involves both accountability and behavioural change.
One Phone. One Decision. Lasting Consequences.
Kunal came to Mumbai expecting nothing more than a short trip. Instead, one impulsive decision led to arrest and changed the course of his life. The CCTV captured the act. The legal system recorded the offence. But behind those few seconds was a young man whose life contained far more than the incident itself.
From a psychological perspective, understanding criminal behaviour means looking beyond what happened and examining the circumstances, vulnerabilities, substance use, and decision-making that surrounded it.
Because sometimes, one wrong decision can change a life, but it does not have to define the rest of it.