Bengaluru: Barely 10 days after the South-East Division Police held a meeting with paying guest (PG) owners to strengthen safety measures, an unidentified man allegedly broke into a women’s PG in SG Palya near Koramangala and fled with laptops and other valuables worth several lakhs.
The incident occurred in the early hours of July 30, around 3.30 am, and was captured on the PG’s CCTV cameras.
CCTV captures masked intruder
According to the police, the accused, wearing a cap, entered the PG premises, ransacked a couple of rooms and stole valuables, including three laptops. Before leaving, he was seen wearing a helmet, apparently to conceal his identity.
After the CCTV footage went viral on social media, the Madiwala Police registered a case on Monday and launched an investigation.
The complaint was filed by Shwetha, an IT professional residing at the PG.
Unlocked rooms becoming easy targets
During the investigation, police found that many PG residents leave their room doors unlocked at night to allow roommates returning late from work to enter without disturbing them.
Investigators believe habitual offenders are exploiting this practice by targeting PG accommodations during the early morning hours.
Police said such thefts have become increasingly common in areas including HSR Layout, Bellandur, Marathahalli, Electronics City, Mahadevapura and Whitefield, where large numbers of IT professionals and students stay.
Officials noted that PGs often contain expensive electronic devices such as laptops and smartphones, making them attractive targets for burglars. They also pointed out that while many establishments have CCTV cameras, poor lighting, blind spots and unrestricted access continue to aid offenders.
Police have once again urged PG owners to strengthen access control, improve surveillance, deploy security personnel where possible and ensure residents keep their rooms locked to prevent such incidents.