Vishwanath Koliwada, a former bike racer and once the owner of 70 lorries, was arrested in Bengaluru on Tuesday for his involvement in multiple chain snatching and theft cases. The 40-year-old, originally from Dharwad and the son of a retired army officer, had been on the police radar for years, with over 150 cases filed against him across Karnataka and neighboring states. Authorities recovered 310 grams of gold ornaments worth Rs 24.15 lakh from his possession.
Koliwada’s arrest followed a complaint from a woman in Bengaluru’s Girinagar who reported losing her gold chain in a snatching incident. He was brought to Bengaluru from Hyderabad, where he had been detained in connection with a different case. During questioning, police linked him to at least eight additional chain snatching incidents in the city.
Once a successful businessman, Koliwada ventured into the transport industry and owned a fleet of 70 lorries. However, following the mining ban in Ballari, he faced severe financial losses and eventually turned to crime. From 2014 onwards, he expanded his operations across Karnataka, as well as to Hyderabad and Pune. His criminal activities also reportedly included spending stolen money in Goa casinos and brothels.
Koliwada had been previously arrested in 2023 and released on bail earlier this year. His second wife, Mahadevi, has also been implicated in his criminal acts, having been arrested for conspiring with him in 2018.
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