Bengaluru police have arrested 36-year-old Rajesh B.G., a habitual offender, for allegedly stealing gold rings from jewellery shops by replacing genuine ornaments with fake ones. The arrest has helped solve three theft cases across the city and led to the recovery of over 22 grams of gold.
The accused, a resident of Kempegowdanagar in Byadarahalli, was apprehended on November 17 and has been remanded to judicial custody.
The case was initially filed by Babu Lal, owner of Sri Ganesh Gold Palace in Bhuvaneshwarinagar, following an incident on November 3. According to the complaint, Rajesh posed as a customer around 8 p.m., and while the staff attended another client, he allegedly removed a gold ring weighing 15.49 grams from the tray and replaced it with a fake one. The ring, valued at approximately Rs1.75 lakh, was discovered missing during a routine stock check.
Following the complaint, the Jnanabharathi Police registered a case. During interrogation, Rajesh confessed to similar thefts under the Jnanabharathi and Magadi Road police station limits. Police revealed that he had melted the stolen jewellery to avoid identification, converting it into small gold pieces.
Recoveries from the accused are valued at around Rs2.3 lakh, helping police close three pending cases—two under Jnanabharathi Police and one under Magadi Road Police.
Authorities noted that Rajesh is a repeat offender. In 2024, he was previously arrested in theft cases under Kengeri and Govindarajanagar police stations. After securing bail, he allegedly resumed similar offences across Bengaluru.
