Servant thefts in Bengaluru nearly double in five years despite fall in break-ins

The recent burglary of Rs 18 crore at a builder’s residence in Marathahalli, allegedly committed by domestic helpers, has once again drawn attention to a worrying trend. Servant thefts have emerged as a major residential crime concern in the city, with cases remaining stubbornly high even as house break-in thefts (HBT) showed a decline after peaking in 2023, data accessed by DH reveals.

While overall house break-ins (by day and by night) dropped from 1,200 cases in 2023 to 847 in 2025, servant thefts remain high. Data showed that servant thefts had nearly doubled over five years, rising from 180 cases in 2021 to 385 in 2025.

Night-time burglaries continue to dominate the HBT category. Of the 847 break-ins reported in 2025, as many as 634 occurred at night, underlining persistent vulnerabilities in residential layouts.

Police data from 2021 to 2025 show that key categories such as house theft by night, motor vehicle theft and house theft cases have remained high even as the city has expanded surveillance infrastructure and patrol strength. The year 2023 was the worst for house thefts, with post-pandemic mobility contributing to a spike in both house break-ins and insider thefts. Though incidents declined in 2024 and 2025, officers caution that falling detection rates and repeat offenders remain a challenge.

The city police say servant thefts are common in independent houses and gated communities, where domestic help often gain unrestricted access over long periods. “Unlike break-ins, servant thefts often come to light much later, making detection difficult,” a senior official said.

A senior police officer from the East Division said that though theft-related crimes have increased over the last five years, the detection rate has not kept pace.

The Rs 18-crore burglary involving a Nepali couple has highlighted the detection challenges in such cases, where offenders often have prior access to homes and knowledge of valuables. Police say background verification of domestic workers remains inconsistent, especially in independent houses.

“Most of these offenders don’t break locks. They already have access, which explains why servants often know bedroom layouts, locker locations and even about duplicate keys. They observe routines for months, identify valuables and strike when families are away. Many accused project themselves as obedient, soft-spoken and reliable, often producing character certificates that landlords rarely verify. People assume a certificate means safety. That’s not true unless it’s backed by proper police verification,” the officer said.

Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh told DH that they have increased surveillance and introduced a host of measures to keep a check on thefts. “Measures include increased night patrols, fingerprint verification, expansion of CCTV networks, coordination with resident welfare associations, and initiatives such as community policing and neighbourhood watch programmes,” Singh said. Police teams are intensifying night nakabandis and regular checks, and surveillance has been stepped up, especially in vulnerable residential areas, with monitoring of locked houses also heightened.

Police also say residents are increasingly installing private surveillance cameras and burglar alarms, which has helped prevent or detect several offences.

Night burglaries

Among all categories, house theft by night (HBT–Night) has seen the sharpest increase. In 2021, the city reported 684 cases, of which only about 365 were detected, roughly half. The number rose to 741 in 2022, climbed further to 925 in 2023, and slightly decreased in 2024 and 2025. “Earlier, high-value targets were concentrated in a few areas. Now wealth is spread across East and South Bengaluru, Whitefield, Kalyan Nagar, Electronic City and other areas, making policing more complex,” a senior officer said.

Speaking to DH, a senior police officer from the Central Crime Branch opined that enhanced night patrols, technology-driven verification and closer coordination with the public have helped police prevent and detect house break-in theft (HBT) cases across the city.

“Most house break-ins happen when residents are away or houses remain locked for long periods. Our night patrols and early-morning checks have been strengthened to prevent such offences,” he said.

He further said technology has significantly improved policing on the ground. Police personnel are now equipped with mobile fingerprint verification devices linked to a criminal database. “If we come across a suspicious person during patrols or checks, fingerprints can be verified on the spot to ascertain antecedents. This helps us identify repeat offenders and people on our hotlist. Based on the pattern of offences, we track habitual offenders, recently released prisoners and suspects with similar antecedents,” he added.

‘Silent facilitators’

A special police team recently raided a well-known gold company in Central Bengaluru after investigators found that stolen jewellery from a theft reported last year had been routed to a gold-buying firm.

Senior police officers said such companies and unregulated pawn brokers act as “silent facilitators” of burglaries by offering instant cash for stolen ornaments with little or no verification.

“The jewellery was melted almost immediately, erasing crucial evidence and making recovery virtually impossible,” an officer said.

Police said this well-oiled chain—from burglar to middleman to gold-buying outlet—poses one of the biggest challenges to property crime investigations. The ease with which stolen gold is absorbed into the market not only hampers detection but also indirectly encourages repeat offences, officers warned.

Vehicle theft tops crime charts Motor vehicle theft continues to account for the highest volume of cases. The city recorded 4270 cases in 2021 which rose to 6165 in 2023. While 2024 saw a marginal dip to around 5575 cases 2025 still reported nearly 4490 thefts indicating that the crime remains widespread. However detection rates remain below 50%. Investigators point to the existence of an organised market for dismantled vehicle parts as a major hurdle.

“Two-wheelers form a large share of stolen vehicles but cars are also dismantled and sold in parts. Scrap markets and illegal repair hubs make tracing stolen vehicles difficult” an officer said adding that areas such as Shivajinagar JC Road and other scrap clusters often come under scrutiny. Police say CCTV footage plays a crucial role in tracking movement but is often insufficient once vehicles are broken down within hours of theft.