Inter-state burglar arrested in Udupi district; ₹3.9 lakh in gold recovered

Udupi: The police have arrested a notorious inter-state and inter-district thief in connection with a house burglary reported from Mallaru village in Kaup.

The burglary occurred on December 4, 2025, when the complainant had locked his house and kept the key inside the electricity meter box before stepping out.

Taking advantage of this, the accused allegedly retrieved the key, entered the house, locked it from inside and decamped with gold ornaments weighing around 72 grams, valued at approximately Rs 3.9 lakh, along with silver articles worth about Rs 1,500. A case was registered at the Kaup police station following the incident.

Based on the modus operandi of the theft, a special investigation team was formed under the guidance of Superintendent of Police Hariram Shankar. The team carried out a detailed investigation and successfully traced the accused.

The police arrested Umesh Balegar alias Umesh P alias Umesh Reddy (47). Further investigation is currently underway.

Police said the accused is a habitual offender with a long criminal history. He is involved in around 16 theft cases registered across Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, and about 17 cases in various police stations in Karnataka.

He has already been convicted in at least eight cases. Several non-bailable warrants have been issued against him by courts in Kerala and Karnataka, and he was also absconding in a long-pending case registered at Thirthahalli police station in Shivamogga district.

Proclamation orders have been issued against him in two cases registered at Sringeri police station in Chikkamagaluru district.

The arrest operation was carried out by Kaup Circle Inspector Azamath Ali G along with others.

Police officials said the arrest is a significant breakthrough in curbing inter-state burglary networks operating in the coastal belt.