Thief who slept at bus shelters arrested with Rs 40 lakh stolen gold

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: The Puttenahalli police have apprehended a thief known as 'Touch' Ganesh, who adopted a unique strategy to evade suspicion.

He would openly sleep at bus shelters during the night while in possession of stolen gold ornaments worth Rs 40 lakh. This clever approach kept him off the radar for more than three months.

'Touch' Ganesh was responsible for a string of thefts from over 20 houses in the city. After each theft, he would discreetly carry the stolen gold ornaments with him, concealing them in his pockets, and then rest at bus shelters.

The night patrol police, dismissing him as a beggar, unknowingly allowed him to escape detection. The breakthrough in this case occurred when the police obtained CCTV footage capturing Ganesh walking along a road shortly after a theft.

Adding to the challenge for law enforcement, Ganesh abstained from using a mobile phone and avoided houses equipped with CCTV cameras.

However, the police managed to acquire CCTV footage of him walking down a road approximately 20 days ago, ultimately leading them to his location at a bus shelter.

Acting on suspicion, the police detained Ganesh for questioning, during which he confessed to his involvement in the thefts. He admitted to disposing of the stolen gold through associates.

Subsequently, the police also apprehended Ganesh's friend, Raghu, who provided further information regarding the stolen gold.

The Puttenahalli police are currently conducting a more extensive investigation into the case.