Mangaluru: Mangaluru police have cracked two house burglary cases within 24 hours and arrested two alleged burglars from Delhi in Vadodara, Gujarat, with the assistance of Gujarat Police. Stolen property, including gold jewellery, worth around Rs 18 lakh has been recovered, police said.
The arrested accused have been identified as Armaan Khan alias Aman Soni, 34, son of Shokin, a resident of Gokul Puri in North-East Delhi, and Sanjeev Kumar alias Johnny, 34, son of Vishnu Jat, a resident of Sultan Puri in New Delhi.
Burglary reported at Alake
The breakthrough came following a burglary reported at Sahayoga Residency Complex on Alake Kambla Cross Road on September 28.
According to police, the occupants had locked their house and left for the market at around 3 pm. When they returned at approximately 5.10 pm, they found that the latch of the front door had been broken and the house had been ransacked.
The burglars allegedly escaped with gold jewellery worth around Rs 14 lakh, cash, a watch, a trolley bag and other belongings.
Mangaluru North police registered Crime No. 121/2026 under Sections 331(3) and 305 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and began an investigation.
Second burglary case under investigation
At the same time, police were investigating another house-breaking case reported within the limits of Barke police station on September 27.
In that incident, burglars allegedly broke open a locker at a house on Bokkapatna Road during the daytime. However, they reportedly found no valuables inside and allegedly stole cheque books before fleeing.
Barke police registered Crime No. 86/2026 under Sections 331(3) and 305 of the BNS.
Investigators subsequently began tracking the movements of suspects linked to the two incidents.
Suspects traced to train towards Delhi
A special police team working under the guidance of the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Central Sub-Division, gathered information indicating that the alleged burglars had boarded a train and were travelling towards Delhi after committing the offences.
Mangaluru police then contacted their counterparts in Vadodara, Gujarat, and sought assistance in intercepting the suspects.
The coordinated operation resulted in the arrest of the two accused in Vadodara on September 29, police said. The arrests were made within 24 hours of the registration of the Alake burglary case.
The accused were subsequently brought to Mangaluru and produced before the jurisdictional court. The court remanded them to judicial custody.
Police said they would seek custody of the accused for further investigation into the two burglary cases and to establish their involvement in other offences, if any.
Stolen property worth Rs 18 lakh recovered
According to the police, all the stolen property linked to the cases was recovered from the accused.
The total value of the recovered property has been estimated at around Rs 18 lakh. The recovery includes gold jewellery and other belongings reported stolen during the house burglaries.
The swift recovery followed the police team’s efforts to track the suspects after they allegedly left Mangaluru and began travelling towards Delhi.
The coordination between Mangaluru and Vadodara police also helped investigators intercept the suspects before they could reach their intended destination.
Armaan Khan has alleged burglary record
The police release also highlighted the alleged criminal history of Armaan Khan.
According to Mangaluru police, more than 40 house burglary cases have been registered against Khan in different cities across the country, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Goa and Hyderabad.
Police further stated that warrants and a proclamation are pending against him.
Details concerning Khan’s arrest have been shared with the concerned police stations for further necessary action, police said.
The alleged previous cases are subject to proceedings in the respective jurisdictions.
Investigation continues
The arrest of the two accused and recovery of the stolen property marks a breakthrough in the two Mangaluru house-breaking cases. Police are continuing their investigation to establish the complete sequence of events, identify any additional involvement and determine whether the accused are connected to other burglary cases in the region.
The two accused remain in judicial custody, while police are expected to seek their custody for further questioning.
The cases also underline the importance of coordinated policing when suspects move across State borders after committing offences. In this instance, information gathered by the Mangaluru police team and assistance from Gujarat Police enabled the suspects to be traced to Vadodara within a day of the Alake case being registered.