Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Nov 9: In a major breakthrough, Mulki police have arrested a notorious thief, Suresh alias Santosh (60), who has been involved in multiple thefts and frauds targeting elderly women across the region. The arrest follows an investigation into a case where Sundari Poojari (73), a resident of Naravi, was deceived and robbed of her gold chain in Mulki on August 5, 2024.
Sundari, traveling by bus to her daughter’s house in Ashwathapura, got off at Mulki around 2:30 pm and went to buy fruits at a local shop. While there, a man approached her, pretending to be a familiar acquaintance. He noticed the gold chain around her neck and convinced her that he could have a similar one made. He then took her chain, promising to return it after ordering a duplicate. However, he vanished with the jewelry, leaving Sundari defrauded.
A case was filed at Mulki Police Station, and an investigation was launched. Through their efforts, the police identified the suspect as Suresh alias Santosh, a resident of Kempugudde, Kasavittal, Bantwal Taluk. During interrogation, police found that Suresh was not only involved in the theft of Sundari’s chain but had also carried out similar frauds in other areas.
In November 2023, he had deceived another elderly woman in Karkala taluk, stealing a gold chain weighing about 1.25 tola. In total, the police recovered 36 grams of gold (valued at approximately Rs 2.5 lac) from Suresh.
Further investigation revealed that Suresh had been avoiding court proceedings in an ongoing case at Puttur Town Police Station, leading to a non-bailable warrant being issued against him. He was eventually apprehended after police launched a dedicated operation.
The operation was led by Mulki police inspector Sandesh P G, and included key contributions from sub-inspector Krishnappa, along with the crime division team: Mohammad Iqbal, Mohammad Hussain, Akeel Ahmed, Nagaraj, and Venkatesh.
The arrest was made under the guidance of Mangaluru City Police Commissioner Anupam Agarwal, IPS, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime & Safety) Siddharth Goyal, IPS, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Administration) Dinesh Kumar, IPS, and Assistant Commissioner of Police (Mangaluru North Sub-Division) Srikanth K.
Suresh's arrest is seen as a significant step in tackling the growing concern over crimes targeting vulnerable elderly individuals. The police investigation is ongoing, with efforts to uncover any other cases he may have been involved in.