CHENNAI: A couple who was on a daylight burglary spree for close to three years was arrested and gold ornaments weighing about 210 sovereigns, 10 kg of silver ware, 11 cameras, three bikes and Rs 25,000 were recovered from their possession, here. Police said the couple would gather reccee under the guise of selling incense sticks.
Cops stumbled upon P Karna Prabhu (30), a resident of Vijayawada, and Sowmya, (30), both school dropouts, residing at Subiksha Apartment, Ramapuram, during a routine vehicle check recently, while CCTV grabs from a number of cameras in Saidapet besides fingerprints lifted from recent crime scenes helped nail them.
When police intercepted them by chance on Kavarai Street in Saidapet, the couple claimed they were selling incense sticks.
When the bike’s glove cabinet was opened, police found a tool bag containing high power saws, gloves, screw drivers and high power compact batteries to operate power tools.
A finger print analysis tallied with the four burglary cases reported in the city and the couple were confronted with the evidence, after which they confessed.
Further investigation revealed that the couple had taken to robbery as a routine after their first attempt at stealing a handbag left in front of a locked house in T Nagar succeeded. The couple had found seven sovereigns of jewellery and wads of cash inside the handbag. Then on, the couple would drop their nine-year-old son in the school and identify locked houses in the city to burgle.
Equipped with tools to break in, the couple operated only during the day between 11 am and 2 pm after ensuring that the inmates were away. Sowmya, who fell in love with Karna after they met at a temple, would stand guard while Karna would operate inside the locked house.
The couple trained themselves to pick brass locks besides cutting into wooden doors. The couple stuck to day-light robberies as it was convenient for them.
According to JCP, South, A Arun, the couple was involved in 22 such cases in the city.
“The stolen property was pledged with various pawn shops in Choolaimedu, Saligramam, Valasarvakkam, Arumbakkam and Virugambakkam and were subsequently recovered,” he said. The couple had rented their flat for Rs 12,000 a month. Besides taking care of essentials, the couple had not purchased any property or vehicles in their name.