B’luru: Police arrest thief behind multiple villa burglaries 

A burglar from Tripura, who would break into villas at night, enjoy a meal, and then commit theft, has been arrested by the Kothanur police. The accused, identified as Amit Debbaria (22) from Tripura, was involved in multiple villa burglaries in the city.

Recently, a resident of a villa in K. Narayanapura locked their main door but forgot to secure the upstairs door before going to sleep. The owner had left his watch, mobile phone, and wallet on the dining table. The next morning, he discovered that his valuables had been stolen. Based on CCTV footage from the crime scene and information provided by informants, the police apprehended Amit near Gubbi Cross, Kothanur.

During the interrogation, Amit confessed to the K. Narayanapura villa burglary and admitted to having committed thefts at several other villas across the city. According to the police, Amit would target villas specifically, and before committing the theft, he would head to the kitchen, have a full meal, and then steal valuable items. His background as a member of an indigenous tribal community made it easy for him to climb walls and trees, aiding his entry into homes.

Amit, who had been working in the city for the past seven years, recently took up a job filling water tankers in Kothanur. He had no permanent residence and would often sleep in under-construction buildings.

The police recovered stolen goods from two such buildings, including 31 watches and 4 mobile phones from an under-construction site in Hanumanthnagar’s Bilishivale village, and 125 grams of gold, one watch, and Rs 2,000 from another construction site on Hennur-Bagalur Main Road. Additionally, 45 grams of gold sold to an auto driver were also retrieved. With Amit’s arrest, the police have solved a total of nine house burglary cases in Kothanur, Yelahanka, Chikkajala, and Bagalur.

This arrest has brought some relief to the residents in these areas who had been affected by the spate of burglaries.