BENGALURU: The Vijayanagar police have busted a gang of thee men, who used to carry out house break thefts. The arrested have been identified as Lokesh (19), Vasantharaj (21) and Santosh (23). The trio used to target vacant houses, while the inmates were away.
According to the police, the prime accused Lokesh, had stolen gold worth Rs 2.5 lakh from a resident of M.C. Layout, identified as Kuppamma. Lokesh knew Kuppamma’s son Vijayankumar and used to visit the house. One day, when no one was around he managed to steal the key and got it duplicated. He broke into the house when Kuppamma was out of town.
Following the similar modus operandi, in 2015 Lokesh robbed a house where he was employed. He was working at Lakshman’s house in SVJ Nagar, Mudalapalya. When Lakshman had gone out of town, the accused, along with accomplices Vasantharaj and Santosh, took Lakshman’s car and went to Magadi, but met with an accident.
Vasantharaj happened to find the key to Lakshman’s house inside the vehicle and got it duplicated. They used it to steal 800 g of gold jewellery, worth Rs 24 lakh, police said. Two cases have been registered in Vijayanagar police station.
Keys in secret place help thieves
Thieves, who dug out keys from a hidden place, made away with valuables worth a few lakhs from a house in Rajyotsava Layout under Kumara Swamy police station limits on Thursday afternoon.
The theft in the house of Satyashankar, who stays there with his wife, son and daughter-in-law, came to light around 2 pm when his wife returned home. She found the main door open and jewellery and other valuables missing.
Satyashankar, his son and daughter-in-law were away at work when the theft occurred. Every day, Satyashankar’s wife kept the keys under a shoe table in the house and the thieves, who have kept a watch, have made away with the booty, the police said.
