A 21-year-old youth, identified as Komal (name changed), has been arrested for stealing gold ornaments worth Rs 60 lakh from his aunt’s residence in Girinagar, Bengaluru. The incident took place in January, and the accused was arrested on April 29, police confirmed on Tuesday.
Komal, a resident of Rajajinagar, was adopted by a couple and holds a BBA degree. He was previously employed as a deputy manager at a bank before moving to Chennai to live with his homosexual partner, for whom, police say, he spent a large portion of the stolen money.
The ornaments were stolen from the home of Komal’s adopted mother’s elder sister, a doctor living in Banashankari third stage. Her husband, a businessman, had kept the valuables in a bedroom locker. He noticed the locker couldn’t be opened upon returning from France on January 30, and later found it empty on February 20, after another trip to Mumbai.
Initial suspicion fell on domestic help, but bank transactions showing over Rs 5 lakh in expenses during the theft period pointed investigators toward Komal. Surveillance and questioning led to a confession, where Komal admitted to stealing the ornaments, selling part of them via a friend to a jeweller in Vyalikaval, and giving the rest to his partner.
He had resigned from his bank job and relocated to Chennai, using the proceeds for a holiday with his partner. Komal was held in police custody for 10 days and has now been remanded to judicial custody.
Police recovered 258 grams of gold ornaments as part of the ongoing investigation.
