Vigilant locals of KMG Nagar in Karaikal town nabbed a most-wanted thief who was involved in as many as 120 theft cases in various localities of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. He was caught in the act during the wee hours of Saturday.
According to police sources, he was identified as Nagore Pitchai alias Shagul Hameed (54), a cashew nut trader hailing from Nandampakkam locality in Chennai.
On Saturday, Pitchai broke open the rear door of a house belonging to one Shanmugham (47), a businessman hailing from KMG Nagar in Karaikal. As Shanmugham had heard strange noises and wanted to check what was going on, he found Pitchai attempting to rob the house.
With the help of locals, Shanmugham managed to secure Pitchai from fleeing.
Pitchai was handed over to Karaikal town police and following an interrogation, it is said that Pitchai had confessed to the police about his involvement in the series of robbery cases in various localities of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal.
In January alone, Pitchai confessed to have robbed valuables and cash worth `10.50 lakh from two different theft incidents at the Karaikal Nehru Nagar locality.
Based on the confession from Pitchai, 15 sovereigns of robbed gold jewellery and `3,000 in cash were retrieved by the Karaikal police from a lodge located at Chidambaram town on Saturday.
Police sources said that 40 more sovereigns of gold jewellery robbed by Nagore Pitchai is yet to be retrieved from one of his accomplice Dass, hailing from Villupuram.
Karaikal town police personnel have registered a case and are investigating the secured robber.