In a major breakthrough, Mulki police have apprehended a notorious thief, Suresh alias Santosh (60), who has been involved in a series of thefts and frauds targeting elderly women across the region. His arrest comes after a detailed investigation into the case of Sundari Poojari (73), who was deceived and robbed of her gold chain in Mulki on August 5, 2024.
Sundari, traveling by bus to visit her daughter, was approached by the suspect at a local shop while she was buying fruits. Suresh pretended to be a familiar acquaintance and noticed the gold chain around her neck. He convinced her that he could have a similar chain made and promised to return it after placing an order for a duplicate. However, he vanished with her gold chain, leaving Sundari defrauded.
The Mulki Police Station filed a case, and through their investigation, identified the thief as Suresh, a resident of Kempugudde, Kasavittal, Bantwal Taluk. During his interrogation, police discovered that Suresh had committed similar frauds in other areas as well. In November 2023, he deceived another elderly woman in Karkala taluk, stealing a gold chain weighing approximately 1.25 tola.
The police recovered 36 grams of stolen gold from Suresh, valued at around Rs 2.5 lakh. Further investigation revealed that Suresh had been evading court proceedings related to an ongoing case at Puttur Town Police Station, which led to a non-bailable warrant being issued against him. He was eventually caught through a dedicated police operation.
The operation was led by Mulki Police Inspector Sandesh P G, along with sub-inspector Krishnappa and the crime division team. The arrest was made under the guidance of Mangaluru City Police Commissioner Anupam Agarwal, DCP (Crime & Safety) Siddharth Goyal, DCP (Administration) Dinesh Kumar, and ACP (Mangaluru North Sub-Division) Srikanth K.
Suresh’s arrest marks a significant step in addressing the rising concerns about crimes targeting elderly individuals. Police continue to investigate his involvement in other similar cases.