BENGALURU: The Govindarajanagar police have apprehended a most wanted thief who was targeting large bungalows and stealing gold.
The most wanted house burglar, Karthik, was arrested along with two of his associates. The police have seized 107 grams gold worth Rs 7.65 lakh and 1.16 lakh in cash from the accused. Karthik faces more than 80 house break-in cases in Bengaluru. He is involved in a series of house burglaries not only in the city, but in other parts of the state too.
Karthik had stolen 3 kg of gold from a house and went to a casino in Goa with his girlfriend. But as the train was late, he was not able to pawn the stolen gold and had hid it in a two-feet-deep pit in a bushy area near the Railway Colony in Okalipuram. He had placed stones at the spot to mark the location.
Karthik was caught a few days ago with his girlfriend in a casino in Goa. He revealed to the police where he hid the stolen gold and took out 750 gm of gold from the pit and handed it over to the Govindarajanagara police when he was taken to the spot.
There are 18 arrest warrants pending against Karthik who was operating in different states including Chennai and Tirupati. He used to target single and locked houses. He would steal alone, but operated with two of his associates. He always pledged the stolen gold ornaments at same place.
Bengaluru City Police Commissioner B Dayananda, briefing about the arrest, said Karthik has been into house theft since 2005. He used to enter houses by breaking the door locks and had escaped from the jail thrice. Karthik was also involved in two theft cases at jewellery stores. The Govindarajanagar police have seized a total 1.07 kg of gold worth Rs 7.65 lakh and 1.16 lakh in cash from the arrested.
“A case had been registered in Kamakshipalya police station where a housemaid, a jewellery store worker and hotel employee had helped him. The police recovered 1.93 kg and 3 kg silver items at that time. About 17 cases are registered against him in different police stations in the city. The arrest will help crack other cases too”, the police commissioner added.