Image showing a burglary. (For representation)
Credit: iStock Photo
Bengaluru: A 35-year-old repeat offender, Sreedhara TS, partnered with notorious ex-inmate Ganesh alias Touch Ganesha after their release from the Parappana Agrahara prison and allegedly ransacked a house in South Bengaluru’s Subramanyapura, the police said.
Sreedhara, the prime suspect, has been arrested, while his accomplice Ganesh, who has over 20 cases registered against him in various police stations across Bengaluru, remains absconding.
The police said that the two developed a close friendship while being lodged in the same barrack at Parappana Agrahara. Over time, they bonded and even applied for bail together. Sreedhara was released on February 2, and Ganesh walked free three days later.
"Ganesh had no place to stay, so he moved in with his 'jail friend' Sreedhara,” the investigating officer told DH.
However, the duo soon ran out of money as they couldn’t find any jobs. Eventually, they returned to crime and targeted a locked house in Uttarahalli, Subramanyapura. The police said they had observed that the house was unoccupied for a few days and decided to break in.
The residents, who had been away in Prayagraj for the Kumbh Mela, returned to find their house ransacked and filed a complaint.
The police reviewed multiple CCTV recordings from the area and spotted Sreedhara's face in one of the footages. Running the image through their database, investigators identified him and launched a manhunt.
Sreedhara was arrested on March 23 near Chikkabidarakallu. However, Ganesh managed to evade arrest and remains on the run.
Investigations revealed that the suspects had mortgaged the stolen gold at a finance company with the help of their associates. The police have recovered the mortgaged valuables, but said more money and stolen items are still with Ganesh.
A search operation is underway to trace him.