Film buff constable helps nab Bollywood-inspired burglar

Manjeet Singh was arrested from Gurudwara Guru Nanak Satsang in Sham Nagar area soon after he committed the theft yesterday, V Renganathan, Deputy Commissioner of Police (West), said. He allegedly stole cash from two cash chests of the gurudwara.
"He had created an escape route before committing the burglary," he said. Singh was spotted hiding on the roof of the gurudwara by beat constable Naresh who has seen some movie in which the hero was a burglar who used to first create escape route whenever he used to break into any house.

Naresh also recalled that the burglar in the film also used to identify a hiding place within that house which could be used for hiding just in case of a real-time threat and to walk out later once the situation allowed to do so.

"When the policeman asked him who he was, the person replied that 'Log Mujhe Jugnu kahte hai kyonki mein raat ko chamakta hoon' (People call me 'Jugnu' (firefly) because I glow in the night)," Renganathan said.

He was identified as Manjeet Singh and a personal search yielded Rs 4,844 of currency notes and Rs 2,958 of coins), a clock and some other articles.

"Singh told police that he was inspired by the film 'Jugnu' and used the same modus operandi to commit the theft," he said.

The police had reached the spot soon after gurudwara officials informed them about the incident. Two cash chests were missing.

"The crime scene was inspected and it was found that the burglar had climbed up the balcony of the first floor by using the hard top of an already parked Tata Sumo adjoining the gurudwara.

"Thereafter, the burglar had taken the help of the rain water pipes to reach the second floor balcony. Once in the second floor balcony, the burglar had removed the grill of one of the windows of the main hall of the gurudwara to enter it and reached the cash chests.

"It was observed that all the exit doors of the gurudwara had been unbolted by the burglar, probably to use as escape routes in a contingency," Renganathan said.
The cash chests were found lying on the stairs going to the roof. An intensive search was conducted at the gurudwara but could not find the culprit.

"Not satisfied with the results, Naresh again started the search minutely and it was at the roof top that he found Singh," Renganathan said