Police nab duo who robbed valuables from elderly after giving them tea laced with sedatives

A man and a woman were recently arrested for stealing gold valuables from elderly persons after giving them beverage laced with sleeping pills. While one accused, identified as Karthik M from Rajajinagar used to approach the elderly persons, befriended them, fed them tea laced with sleeping pills and stole their jewellery, his accomplice Manjushree from K Horamavu sold them and kept her share. 

The duo were arrested after a victim, who runs a condiment store in Malleswaram, registered a complaint against Karthik alleging he had stolen his valuables after feeding him tea laced with sleeping pills.

Police said Karthik groomed his communicative skills to interact with the elderly who were amiable and were well off. As part of his modus operandi, he used to speak to them nicely to gain their confidence for several days before robbing them, police sources said.

After interacting them and gaining their trust, Karthik would take them for a discussion over a cup of tea. He used to repeat this for a couple of times and after a few days of the same pattern, mix sleeping pills in the tea, make them drink it and steal jewellery before going incommunicado.

He would then hand over the stolen jewellery to his accomplice who would sell it to small jewellers in the city. The suspects used to shared the spoils on a percentage basis. 

The apprehension 

The crimes came to light after one such victim, who owns a shop in Malleswaram, registered a complaint against Karthik alleging he had stolen his valuables after feeding him tea laced with sedatives. Police swung into action and examined numerous CCTV footage to nab the suspects.

The cops have taken possession of 115 grams of gold worth 6.5 lakh from the suspects. 

Police said that Karthik and Manjushree knew each other for a long time.