A 37-year-old burglar, Panchakshari Swamy, was arrested on charges of theft after stealing gold and silver ornaments worth Rs 14 lakh from a house in Bengaluru. Swamy, originally from Solapur, Maharashtra, was married with children but spent the proceeds of his robberies on other women, including allegedly building a Rs 3 crore bungalow for his girlfriend.
Swamy’s criminal activities date back to 2003, when he started committing burglaries as a minor. By 2009, he had become an expert in theft, amassing significant wealth through his crimes. The police discovered his involvement in the January 9 theft in Maruti Nagar, Bengaluru, with the help of footage from over 200 CCTV cameras.
In addition to the Rs 14 lakh worth of stolen ornaments, Swamy was found in possession of 181 gm of gold biscuits, 33 gm of silver, and a firearm. Authorities have traced his activities across multiple regions of the country.
According to police, Swamy’s lavish spending was especially apparent after he started dating an actress around 2014-15. He reportedly built her a Rs 3 crore house in Kolkata, and even gifted her a Rs 22 lakh aquarium. Swamy mostly operated solo, monitoring empty houses and switching clothes post-theft to avoid detection.
