BENGALURU: A domestic help has been arrested for allegedly committing a series of thefts in at least five households in an apartment complex in Kodichikkanahalli.According to a complaint filed with the Bommanahalli police, Dr Mosam Sanketh Pancham stated that she suspected her domestic help Sunita of stealing jewellery from her flat and from that of other residents. According to Mosam, Sunita had started working in her flat in February 2019. She was one of the oldest maids in the apartment and used to work for 16 households.
As her behaviour and interaction with the residents were good, most of them had given her their flat keys as they were working. In July, Sunita asked Mosam to give her `20,000, but the latter refused. In the next couple of days, her husband’s diamond chain went missing. When Mosam questioned Sunita, the latter promised that she had not stolen it. In August, Mosam learnt that Sunita had stolen jewellery worth `2.5 lakh from another house and had replaced them with duplicates. When the owner confronted her, she returned the jewelleries. After this, Mosam checked her almirah and found her jewellery missing. So she formed a WhatsApp group, where many residents complained of cash, jewellery, cosmetics, toys and other valuables being stolen from their houses.
On November 10, all the residents confronted her. Though initially Sunitha refused to admit that she had stolen the ornaments, she later confessed. She also told them that she sold the jewellery to four-five pawn brokers. Mosam and other residents went to the pawn brokers and found their jewellery and slips of sale.
The same day, Sunita was also sacked from all the houses. However on Tuesday, she threatened to commit suicide and hold the residents responsible.An investigating officer said a few gold jewelleries were yet to
be recovered.