Inchara Digitals

Daijiworldl Media Network – Udupi (SP)

Udupi, Aug 19: A person, who earlier confined himself to stealing of poultry birds, slowly graduated into the area of regular theft. He reportedly moved about stealthily in areas adjoining Katapadi and Udyavar villages and seized the opportunity that came across him to steal things and valuables, was arrested by the policemen of Kaup station in the district. A number of valuables which had been stolen by him were also seized from his possession on Monday August 18.

Ganesh Poojary (33), a resident of Ankudru in Udyavar, was arrested and gold ornaments and electronic items totally worth about Rs 3.10 lac were confiscated from him.

After Purushottam, assistant police sub-inspector, who was patrolling Katapadi received reliable information about the accused, he contacted Kaup police circle inspector, Sunil Naik, and station house officer, Manjappa. In a joint operation conducted by the trio, the accused was nabbed.

It is said that Ganesh was behind the theft which occurred at the house of Lilly Andrade from Udyavar during June this year, in which the family lost gold ornaments. During last week, he entered the house of Sadananda Kotian from Bolje near here, and took away a washing machine. Earlier to this incident, he also had stolen gold ornaments from a house in Manipura, and in respect of all these incidents, cases had been registered in Kaup station.

Although the policemen had come across Ganesh during their earlier investigations, they had marked him as a thief of chicken and other pet animals. He had often been reprimanded by the people for these acts, they had come to know. Little did the policemen knew then that he had since dreamt big and started stealing non-living things.

The police learnt that the arrested accused used to raise loans by pledging stolen ornaments to banks. All these ornaments have since been recovered by the police. Other items which the policemen could lay hands on include a LG washing machine, mixer grinder, torch, a Honda Activa two-wheeler, and a bicycle.

The police have come to know that Ganesh always used a long stick with a hook at its end to steal things, and he almost always carried the things after every theft, by his bicycle. His normal practice was to push the window door, insert the stick through this gap, and slide the bolt of the door by using its hook, before getting inside the houses.

The operation to nab the thief was conducted under the directions of district superintendent of police, P Rajendra Prasad, and additional superintendent of police, Santosh Kumar, and guidance of assistant superintendent of police, Annamalai.