Engineer-Turned Burglar With 88 Theft Cases Nabbed In Bengaluru After 27-Year Crime Spree

Police said the accused, who is a native of Andhra Pradesh, has been plundering houses across Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka since 1998.

Representational Image | Bengaluru police arrested a man wanted in 88 theft cases across Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka since 1998.

Source : ABPLIVE AI

An interstate burglar, wanted in 88 theft cases and active for 27 years, has been arrested by the Bengaluru police after he reportedly looted a house in Kodigehalli and vanished with valuables worth Rs 9.20 lakh.

Police stated that the accused, identified as Srinivas, a native of Andhra Pradesh, has been plundering houses across Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka since 1998. Police added that Srinivas, who graduated in mechanical engineering, has previously worked as a technical crew member in the Telugu film industry.

Later, he got addicted to gambling and a lavish lifestyle, leading him to commit thefts. Meanwhile, his siblings are working in the United States and Australia, police added, the Indian Express reported.

Burglar Caught After Fingerprints Identified 

Police confirmed that he reportedly targeted a house in Balaji Layout, Kodigehalli, on April 16 when the residents were absent. Finding no one at home, he used the rod to force open the door, entered, and stole all the valuable items. 

Later, Srinivas was identified after leaving his fingerprints at the crime scene, which were matched to records from a 2022 arrest by Jeevan Bima Nagar police. “We also reviewed CCTV footage and confirmed Srinivas’s involvement. A search operation was launched immediately,” an investigating officer said.

He was arrested on May 2 near a PG accommodation in Nagawara, where he had been staying. Police investigations revealed he had committed another burglary in the same locality and had arrived in Bengaluru just four days before the crime.

According to authorities, Srinivas has pending cases in Madhapur and Sarojini Nagar in Hyderabad, Bidar in Karnataka, and Eluru in Andhra Pradesh. Despite the large number of cases, he has not been convicted so far.

He is currently in judicial custody, and the Kodigehalli police have recovered stolen goods from the residence of one of his associates in Mysuru.