Mysuru: In a major outreach initiative, the Mysuru City Police returned stolen valuables worth ₹2.96 crore to their rightful owners during a ‘property return parade’ held in Mysuru on Wednesday.

City Police Commissioner Seema Latkar handed over 2.54 kg of gold, 5.321 kg of silver, ₹10 lakh in cash, 57 vehicles and other recovered items linked to 79 cases registered since September last year. Police have arrested 82 accused in connection with these cases.

Addressing a press meet, Commissioner Latkar said that the recovery drive was the result of sustained efforts by various police stations across the city over the past six months.

Major cases cracked

Providing details, the Commissioner said the police had cracked one dacoity case, one conspiracy to commit dacoity, four extortion cases, two chain snatching incidents, 26 theft cases, nine house thefts, three thefts by house helps, four common thefts, 57 vehicle thefts and one case under the Karnataka Forest Act.

Apart from gold and silver ornaments, the recovered property includes 49 two-wheelers, three cars, one jeep, two lorries, one goods vehicle and one autorickshaw. Police also seized 33 kg of sandalwood logs in connection with a forest offence.

The Commissioner said the ‘property return parade’ is aimed at promptly restoring seized valuables to victims after completion of legal formalities, thereby strengthening public trust in policing.

Station-wise achievements

Saraswathipuram Police arrested two accused and cracked nine cases — eight thefts and one vehicle theft — recovering 529 grams of gold, 1.412 kg of silver and one two-wheeler.

Kuvempu Nagar Police arrested 10 accused and solved 13 cases, including nine thefts, two house thefts and two thefts by house helps, recovering property worth ₹63 lakh.

Lashkar Police arrested six accused and cracked eight cases — three house thefts, four vehicle thefts and one case of cheating involving gold — recovering 324 grams of gold, three two-wheelers and one autorickshaw.

The CCB Police arrested seven accused and cracked 11 vehicle theft cases, recovering two lorries, one jeep and eight two-wheelers worth ₹35 lakh.

Vidyaranyapuram Police arrested one accused in a house theft case and recovered 252 grams of gold.

Metgalli Police arrested 17 accused and solved 13 cases, including one extortion case, seven thefts, one house theft, one theft by house help and two vehicle thefts. They recovered 73 grams of gold, 447 grams of silver, a two-wheeler, one laptop, ₹63,000 in cash, batteries, motors and copper wires.

Vijayanagar Police arrested six accused and cracked five cases — one chain snatching, three vehicle thefts and one theft by house help — recovering 63 grams of gold, 2.450 kg of silver, two two-wheelers and one car.

Mandi Police arrested 11 accused and solved 14 cases — one extortion and 13 vehicle thefts — recovering 13 two-wheelers, one car, 61 grams of silver and one mobile phone.

Narasimharaja Police arrested nine accused and cracked eight cases, including two extortion cases, one theft, four vehicle thefts and one Forest Act case. They recovered property worth ₹12.80 lakh, including 69 grams of gold, four two-wheelers and 33 kg of sandalwood.

Use of technology in detection

In one of the cases, an accused had allegedly identified isolated houses in posh localities using Google Maps before committing house thefts. He was tracked and apprehended with the assistance of NATGRID (National Intelligence Grid).

In another case, a lecturer of a private college was found to have stolen gold jewellery from a neighbour and pledged it with finance companies. Based on details obtained from pledged gold records, police traced and solved the case.

Strengthening public confidence

Commissioner Seema Latkar highlighted that swift detection and transparent return of property reflect the department’s commitment to effective policing. She appreciated the coordinated efforts of officers across stations and urged citizens to cooperate with law enforcement and promptly report crimes.

The large-scale recovery and return of valuables underscore Mysuru police’s focus on both crime control and victim support. The initiative has been welcomed by beneficiaries, many of whom expressed relief upon receiving their belongings.