It was another day of striking gold, literally and figuratively, for Ishay Raj, a history-sheeter with several theft cases against him. On the night of November 22, Raj allegedly broke into a locked house in Mandur in North Bengaluru and stole 90 grams of gold and Rs 25,000 cash.
With a sense of urgency, he allegedly hopped onto a scooter that he had lifted from near a cemetery. Everything was going according to his plan.
But only until then.
Suddenly, a gang of four men allegedly confronted Raj and searched him, holding him at knife point. Within moments, they found the gold and cash that he had stolen. They allegedly threatened him and forcibly snatched all the stolen gold and cash.
Raj, a resident of Amrutahalli in Bengaluru, knew he could not take on them physically. So, he pleaded with them for money to cover his travel and other expenses. The gang returned Rs 3,000 and let him go.
For the seasoned thief, the night was still young, though. Determined not to return empty-handed due to his superstitious beliefs about bad luck, Raj set his sights on two more houses within a kilometre of his initial theft. He allegedly entered these houses and stole 120 grams of gold and Rs 1.5 lakh cash.
The thefts came to light when the house owners filed police complaints on November 23.
The Avalahalli police used CCTV footage to identify and track Raj to Erode in Tamil Nadu, where he was arrested. The police recovered 110 grams of gold and Rs 28,000 cash from him. Raj then told the police that a gang of four men had robbed him, but the police initially did not believe him.
CCTV footage attests thief’s claim
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A police officer confirmed Raj’s claim of being robbed after reviewing the CCTV footage.
“Upon checking the video footage near the cemetery, we realised that he was telling the truth. The gang attacked him, and at knife point, they searched him, holding him tightly. They discovered the gold ornaments, and Raj admitted he had stolen them. The youths confiscated everything but surprisingly gave him Rs 3,000 for expenses before sending him away,” said the officer.
“Then, we arrested Maunesh Rao, Darshan alias Pappu, Chandan, and Sunil Kumar, all in their 20s, with no prior criminal records, from Mandur,” the officer added.
Seemant Kumar Singh, Commissioner of Police, Bengaluru, Tuesday announced the arrests of Raj and the other four accused. A probe revealed that Raj has seven cases registered against him at different police stations across Bengaluru, the police said.
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The Avalahalli police seized properties worth Rs 70 lakh: 447 grams of gold, Rs 28,250 in cash, and a two-wheeler.