Welcome to Kadia, Gulkhedi, and Hulkhedi, three villages in India’s Madhya Pradesh where parents pay hefty “tuition fees” to enroll their children in thief schools. That’s right, these villages have become notorious for teaching kids as young as 12 the arts of pickpocketing, robbery, and all things sneaky. While most kids learn to read and write, these students learn to dodge the cops and lift wallets. It’s like a scene straight out of Oliver Twist, but with a much darker twist and a more organized crime syllabus.
India’s Rural ‘Thief Schools’ Are Training the Criminals of Tomorrow
