In a plot seemingly lifted from a Bollywood caper, the Ayodhya Nagar police in Bhopal have apprehended a sophisticated thief whose meticulous, corporate-like approach to crime left investigators both concerned and fascinated. The arrest on Monday ended a months-long pursuit for a man officers have dubbed a 'gentleman burglar'.
The Arrest and Recovery
Acting on a crucial tip, the police team picked up the accused from Indore. From his possession, they recovered stolen valuables estimated to be worth around Rs 20 lakh. This loot is connected to a series of at least six high-profile burglaries across Madhya Pradesh, including a recent spree in the upscale Minal Residency area of Ayodhya Nagar in Bhopal.
On the basis of information provided by the accused, the police successfully recovered 150 grams of gold ornaments, 1 kilogram of silver ornaments, and a stolen scooter.
A Burglar Unlike Any Other
Ayodhya Nagar Station House Officer (SHO) Mahesh Lilhare identified the accused as Vijendra alias Bantu, a 46-year-old resident of Jhajjar in Haryana, who was currently living in Amravati, Maharashtra. SHO Lilhare emphasized that the accused's profile defied the typical image of a burglar.
"He was a complete professional in the way he planned, prepared and executed a series of burglaries," Lilhare told TOI. "He was equally adept at making a quiet escape with a precision that resembles corporate discipline more than crime."
His modus operandi, perfected over years, involved hopping from one state to another, ensuring he never returned to a location where he was once caught. His criminal footprint spanned Rajasthan, Haryana, Maharashtra, and now Madhya Pradesh.
"He would leave a state entirely the moment police caught him even once there. Madhya Pradesh was the newest addition to his list. And, as he told us during interrogation—this was to be his first and last time here," added SHO Lilhare.
The Corporate-Style Crime Blueprint
The accused operated with remarkable discipline and planning. To avoid detection, he traveled exclusively by chartered buses, never trains, thus evading platform CCTV cameras and baggage scans. He carried no mobile phone to eliminate digital footprints.
Upon arriving in a new city, his first step was not a burglary, but the theft of a motorcycle or scooter. Using this stolen two-wheeler, he would conduct days of reconnaissance in affluent neighborhoods and gated communities. He identified locked houses and meticulously studied the movement patterns of security guards.
He used Google Maps on a smartphone to mark target colonies and navigate with pinpoint accuracy. "He dressed neatly, walked confidently and entered gated campuses simply by telling guards he had come for work," Lilhare said. "People rarely doubted him. That's why we came to call him a 'gentleman thief'. He was completely self-sufficient," the SHO added, noting the burglar carried his own set of tools.
The Digital Slip-Up and Capture
For months, the burglar successfully evaded the police net in Madhya Pradesh. However, he made two critical mistakes. First, he was captured on a CCTV camera installed inside a victim's house. Second, he recharged a Haryana-based mobile number at an online kiosk in Bhopal.
"That was the breakthrough. From that one digital footprint, we were able to trace his movements and eventually locate him in Dewas and Indore," explained the SHO. The accused had also booked a chartered bus service from Haryana using a local number, which further aided the police tracking efforts.
The police circulated the CCTV grab on a national WhatsApp group of officers, which prompted a tip-off from Haryana police. Technical surveillance based on the recharged phone number ultimately led to his arrest last week—marking his first and only arrest in Madhya Pradesh.
