Anantapur: In a case akin to a Bollywood crime thriller, Anantapur police have arrested a Bengaluru-based man who had been forced to drop out being a hero and took to burgling valuables and cash from shopping malls across south India.
Accused Nagarajugari Anand, a resident of CSR Palem in Bengaluru city, landed into custody after he burgled Dress Circle and Kanchipuram Shopping Mall in Anantapur during the early hours of June 27 and decamped with valuables and cash.
Anand dreamt of making it big in the film industry. He even launched a movie with his mother as producer while he himself played the lead role and directed the film. He sold his house and invested on the movie, which got stalled midway due to lack of funds.
Anand’s life took a dramatic turn after he became embroiled in a dispute related to his wife and got jailed in connection with a murder conspiracy case. After his release on bail, he allegedly took to burglary as a profession, operating under the guise of a flower trader.
Unlike conventional burglars, Anand targeted shopping malls instead of residential houses, as he did not want to hurt families. Anantapur ASP and in-charge DSP Mahaboob Basha said he conducted reconnaissance alone and executed burglaries single-handedly.
Police found Anand used disguises, masks and gloves while committing offences and frequently changed vehicle number plates to evade detection. Mahaboob Basha said Anand managed to stay under the radar for nearly a decade despite committing 32 thefts across Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.
However, after the burglary in Anantapur on June 27, Anantapur SP P. Jagadeesh formed a special police team and tracked down Anand after analysing CCTV footage and other technical evidence.
Police recovered from him a car with three different registered number plates, along with ₹5.25 lakh in cash, cutters and rods that Anand used for break-ins.
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