WATCH: Burglary goes wrong as thief trapped in exhaust shaft in India

A bungled burglary attempt in India's Rajasthan turned into a scene worthy of a film when a suspected thief got trapped inside a kitchen exhaust fan shaft, leaving him dangling helplessly for nearly an hour, India Today reported.

The incident reportedly took place in Kota district at the residence of Subhash Kumar Rawat, who was away travelling on January 3. According to the police, the suspect entered the house at night with the intention of stealing valuables. However, his escape route proved to be a fail.

When Rawat and his wife returned home around 1am and opened the main gate, they found the kitchen lit by the headlights of a scooter parked outside the house. To their shock, they saw a man stuck midway through the kitchen’s exhaust fan opening, with part of his body inside the house and the rest suspended outside.

Police said that the suspected thief attempted to squeeze through the narrow exhaust shaft but became firmly wedged and was unable to free himself. The noise reportedly alerted his accomplice, who fled the scene, abandoning the man to his fate.

The unusual spectacle quickly drew the attention of local residents, who gathered as the drama unfolded for about an hour. A video showing the trapped man struggling to come out from the exhaust shaft with the help of policemen has since circulated widely on social media, adding to the incident’s notoriety.

Sources also claimed the suspects had arrived in a vehicle displaying a police sticker, allegedly to avoid arousing suspicion in the neighbourhood. Officers later reached the scene, rescued the man from the shaft and took him into custody.

Police also launched an investigation to track down the accomplice who escaped and to determine whether the arrested suspect is connected to other theft cases in the area.