Davanagere: Ina major breakthrough, Vidyanagar police in Davanagere have arrested three Rajasthan-based inter-state burglars who were systematically targeting locked houses across multiple states. The arrested men have been identified as Shyam Singh (28), Kavar Pal (24), and Pratap Singh (33). Police have recovered valuables worth ₹15,37,800 from them.

The investigation began after a burglary on January 9, 2025, at the residence of Ranganath in Vinayaka Badavane, VMG Layout, Vidyanagar. Ranganath, who was away in Bengaluru, returned to find his house burglarized. Thieves had broken the lock, entered the home, and decamped with gold ornaments, silver items, and cash from his Godrej bureau. Based on his complaint, Vidyanagar police registered a case and launched a probe.

With the help of Saroli Police from Surat City, Gujarat, Vidyanagar police traced and arrested the three suspects. From their possession, police seized 162.150 grams of gold worth ₹12,97,200, 1,350 grams of silver worth ₹1,08,000, cash amounting to ₹95,600, six mobile phones valued at ₹34,000, and two wristwatches worth ₹3,000.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the arrested trio was involved in at least six burglary cases spread across Harihar, Haliyal, Dharwad, Tumakuru, Tiptur, and Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh. Police said their modus operandi involved identifying locked houses, breaking open doors, and fleeing with valuables before moving across state borders to evade detection. The accused were produced before court and remanded to judicial custody.

Davanagere SP Uma Prashanth praised the Vidyanagar police team for cracking the case and praised their effective coordination with Gujarat police, which made the arrests possible. The successful operation has not only solved the Vinayaka Layout case but is also expected to throw light on a series of unsolved burglaries in Karnataka and beyond.

The arrests have reassured residents of Vidyanagar and surrounding areas, where a string of burglaries had left many anxious. Authorities said further investigation is underway to determine the extent of the gang's operations.