In a peculiar twist to a high-value theft case, the JP Nagar police in Bengaluru have apprehended a seasoned interstate burglar whose criminal modus operandi was dictated by a medical condition. The accused, identified as Mehaboob Khan Patan (38), reportedly suffers from night blindness, which forced him to carry out all his burglaries exclusively during daylight hours.
The Actor's Residence Targeted
The investigation was triggered by a complaint filed by Manasa M, the wife of Kannada television actor Praveen Kumar M. Upon returning to their JP Nagar residence on March 17, the couple discovered that valuable items were missing. The stolen property included a gold pendant, four rings, and a pair of earrings, among other things.
Police scrutiny led them to Mehaboob, a resident of Nagavara in north Bengaluru and a native of Andhra Pradesh. His arrest was executed on December 5 near a tea stall at Nagawara Circle, where he was also found in possession of a stolen two-wheeler.
A Daylight-Only Crime Spree
During interrogation, Mehaboob provided a startling reason for his daytime criminal activity. He confessed to investigators, "I cannot operate at night, so all my crimes were carried out in daylight." This night blindness compelled him to avoid any operations after dark, making him an unusual 'daylight burglar'.
His method was straightforward yet effective. In the actor's case, he allegedly gained entry using a house key that had been left in a shoe rack outside the home. "If the key had not been available, I would have broken the door," he stated in his confession. Police revealed that he typically worked alone and had been involved in criminal activities since his teenage years, with a staggering 32 cases already registered against him across multiple states.
Massive Recovery and Solved Cases
The police successfully recovered valuables worth Rs 65.2 lakh from the burglary at the actor's home. The haul included:
- 478 grams of gold ornaments
- 1.5 kilograms of silver items
- Rs 4.6 lakh in cash
- The stolen two-wheeler
Further searches conducted at his residence in Sarai Palya and at a jewellery shop in the Hassan district led to the discovery of the stolen ornaments. Mehaboob admitted to melting down stolen gold at his home before selling it off.
With this single arrest, the Bengaluru police claim to have cracked seven theft cases that were registered at police stations in JP Nagar, Balki, Santemaralli, Malavalli, and Hunsur. The arrest highlights a significant breakthrough in tackling a series of daytime burglaries that had puzzled authorities.
