Duo burgling homes for 13 years finally caught in Bengaluru

A pair of observant eyes, a mobile phone camera and a key-making machine. These were the vital components of a flawless burglary scheme run by two former office boys.

They hung around private schools, looked for women dropping off their kids, took photographs of their house keys (in case they were holding them in their hands) and followed them to their house. Using the photograph, they would make a duplicate key of the house from a key-making machine and commit burglary. This was usually done the next day when the house lady would be dropping off the kid at school once again.

A joint team of Hebbal and RT Nagar police caught the two-member gang while investigating a theft at a house in HMT Layout on December 7, 2021.

Narendra S, a private firm employee, told the police that the house was burgled sometime after his wife went to pick their son up from school in the afternoon. When she returned, she found many valuables missing.

CCTV footage and good old detective work helped the Hebbal police zero in on the burglars, identified as Murali, 42, a resident of Kaval Byrasandra, and Shivaram, 37, from KG Halli.

The men worked as office boys but quit the job when they found that burglary was more profitable. They started burgling homes as early as 2009.

Though Shivaram quit the venture after some time, he continued to help Murali sell off the stolen valuables to pawnbrokers and jewellers.

The men were so good at the job that they were never arrested before. Police believe they were involved in at least 14 house burglaries reported in Hebbal, RT Nagar, Sanjayanagar, DJ Halli and Amruthahalli police station limits.

As of now, police have recovered 1,132 grams of gold jewellery, 1,210 grams of silver articles, four two-wheelers and a key-making machine.

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