In a significant breakthrough, the Hebbagodi police in Bengaluru have arrested two individuals for orchestrating a major theft at a businessman's residence in Hulimangala village. The accused made off with a staggering sum of over Rs 1.3 crore in cash and a gold chain, exploiting the family's absence during a wedding.
The Brazen Burglary in Hulimangala
The incident unfolded on November 8. The victim, businessman Sunil Kumar R (35), had locked his house and left with his family for Kolar to attend a wedding around 8:30 am. Upon their return on November 9 around 9:30 pm, they were met with a disturbing sight: the front door lock was ajar.
Inside, they discovered a ransacked bedroom. The thieves had broken open the lock, forced open a wardrobe, and looted a suitcase containing Rs 67 lakh. They also took another Rs 65 lakh in cash from the same location. Not stopping there, they raided a drawer, stealing a 16-gram gold chain, Rs 2.5 lakh more in cash, and foreign currency valued at approximately Rs 50,000.
The Arrests and the Unexpected Culprit
Following intensive investigation, police zeroed in on the suspects. On November 19, they apprehended Srinivasa Murthy HK (39), a resident of Sunkadakatte, and Arun Kumar BN (39), from Chikkagollarahatti, near Nayandahalli.
In a shocking revelation, it was found that Srinivasa, who owns a textile store in Chickpet, was no stranger to the victim. He had been an acquaintance of Sunil Kumar for the past five years. His accomplice, Arun, works as an electrician on the private NICE Road expressway.
Police revealed that Srinivasa used to gather information about the victim's family movements through mutual friends. Upon learning that the family would be away in Kolar for a wedding, he conducted a reconnaissance of the area. He then roped in his friend Arun to execute the burglary plan.
Recovery of Stolen Goods and Motive
The police have successfully recovered a major portion of the stolen property. From the house of one of Srinivasa's relatives in Chikkagollarahatti, they recovered Rs 93 lakh and the stolen gold chain. Another Rs 7 lakh was seized from his shop in Chickpet. Authorities have also frozen Rs 7 lakh deposited in his bank account and recovered a further Rs 7 lakh from the residence of a female friend in Jigani.
In total, police have recovered about Rs 1.1 crore in cash and seized a Maruti Suzuki 800 car used in the commission of the crime. During interrogation, Srinivasa confessed that he carried out the burglary because he was facing significant losses in his business and was under debt. He reportedly told police that he never expected to find such a huge amount of cash in the businessman's house.
The case highlights a grim reminder of crimes orchestrated by those within one's circle of trust. The Hebbagodi police's swift action has brought the culprits to book and ensured a substantial recovery of the stolen assets.
