BENGALURU: This is a rags-to-riches story, but with a twist.
Balaji alias Khadeema Prakash, 43, began his tryst with Bengaluru by scrounging for rags in streets. It, however, was not enough to meet his addiction for drugs, alcohol and betting. Starting 2001, Balaji began to steal gold, silver and other valuables from homes and selling them to a receiver.
Finally the Madiwala police caught up with him and the receiver, Rajendra alias Rajiv Gandhi, a tailor. The police have charged Balaji for theft in 133 houses and recovered stolen articles worth Rs 75 lakh, including 779 grams of gold ornaments, 100 grams of silver items and two two-wheelers.
Balaji is a resident of Yadavanahalli near Attibele while Rajendra is a resident of Govindashetty Palya. The modus operandi of the accused was to look for flats or individual buildings that were for sale. In the guise of a prospective buyer, he would gain the confidence of the owners and without their notice he was either stealing the door keys or was taking the picture of the keys on his mobile.
The accused would go back after six months and check if there were more footwear of women outside the flats or buildings assuming that such houses would be having more ornaments. He would wait for the residents to go outside by locking the door and then enter using the duplicate keys and escaping with the valuables.
“To mislead the police, he would pose as a delivery boy by wearing e-commerce platforms T shirts at the time of committing thefts. Betting, drugs, alcohol were his addiction and he was into stealing to source money for his habits. The Central Crime Branch (CCB) sleuths who had arrested him in May last year had sent him to jail.
After coming out of the jail, he committed thefts at 13 more houses. Fearing that he would be caught, he was also not using mobile phone. However the police were monitoring his wife and associates’ phone calls that led to his whereabouts,” said an officer.
The accused had committed thefts in Madiwala, HSR Layout, Bandepalya, MICO Layout, Hulimavu and areas in the city.