Udupi: Udupi City Police have arrested two people allegedly involved in a series of burglaries at locked houses and recovered gold, silver, cash, foreign currency and other valuables worth approximately Rs 23.56 lakh.
The arrested have been identified as Arun S V (43), a resident of Santoshnagar in Perampalli, and Kaushik (19) of Tenkanidiyur village.
Police said the arrests were made on August 23 in Perampalli’s Santoshnagar area based on specific information. The accused are allegedly linked to five theft cases reported within the limits of Udupi City and Malpe police stations.
Dubai-returned resident finds house burgled
The investigation began after Sanam of Bhagavathi Layout in Puttur village approached Udupi City Police with a complaint.
Sanam had returned to Udupi from Dubai and had gone to stay at a relative’s house on August 8. When he returned home on August 11, he found that unidentified persons had broken open the terrace door and entered the house.
The thieves allegedly targeted a cupboard and stole 10,000 UAE dirhams and Rs 14,000 in cash kept in a drawer.
Following the complaint, Udupi City Police registered a case and launched an investigation to identify those responsible.
Special team formed for investigation
Udupi City Police Inspector Mahesh Prasad formed a special team to investigate the burglary.
Based on information gathered during the probe, police traced the suspects to Perampalli’s Santoshnagar area and arrested them on August 23.
The investigation subsequently led to the recovery of a substantial quantity of valuables believed to be connected with the thefts.
Police seized foreign currency valued at approximately Rs 2 lakh, along with gold, silver, cash and other articles.
Gold, silver and vehicles recovered
According to police, the recovered property includes 1.360 kg of silver ornaments and 88.400 grams of gold valued at approximately Rs 13.26 lakh.
Police also seized 1.45 grams of gold coins and Rs 33,000 in cash.
Two mobile phones valued at around Rs 13,000 were recovered during the operation.
An auto-rickshaw estimated to be worth Rs 4 lakh, a foreign watch valued at approximately Rs 30,000 and a Pulsar motorcycle worth around Rs 45,000 were also seized.
The total value of the property recovered by the police has been estimated at Rs 23.56 lakh.
The recovery of foreign currency is significant in connection with the complaint filed by Sanam, who had reported the theft of UAE dirhams from his residence.
Five theft cases linked to accused
During the investigation, police reportedly found that the two accused were allegedly involved in five theft cases registered in Udupi city and Malpe police station limits.
The cases include the alleged burglary of Shashirekha’s house in Kodankur village and the burglary at Sanam’s residence in Bhagavathi Layout.
Police have also linked the accused to alleged thefts from the houses of Trupti Avinash and Ravi Upadhya in the Kelarkalabettu area.
Another case concerns the alleged theft of a Pulsar motorcycle from a garage near Nejaru Masjid.
The investigation is continuing to establish the complete role of the accused in the reported offences and determine whether additional cases are linked to the network.
Police say locked houses were targeted
According to the police, the accused allegedly identified locked houses and targeted them when the occupants were away.
Investigators said the suspects were using motorcycles to move around while carrying out the alleged thefts.
The pattern of targeting unoccupied houses helped investigators connect the different cases, according to the police.
The recovery of valuables and vehicles is expected to assist the investigation into the individual burglaries and establish the circumstances in which the stolen property changed hands.
Arun has previous criminal record
Police said accused Arun S V had previously been convicted in a POCSO case registered by Manipal police in 2016.
According to the police, he served nine years in prison and was released from Parappana Agrahara Jail in July 2025.
The information about his previous case has been included by police as part of his background while investigating the present burglary allegations.
The current investigation will determine the specific role played by each of the two accused in the five cases.
Senior officers supervise investigation
The operation was conducted under the direction of Udupi Superintendent of Police Hariram Shankar and Additional Superintendent of Police Sudhakar Naik.
Udupi Sub-Division Deputy Superintendent of Police Belliappa provided guidance to the investigation team.
Police personnel involved in the operation included PSI Prakash, Prasanna C, Jeevan Kumar, Krishna Devadiga, Anand Ganiga, Anand S, Obalesh and Mallaiah Hiremath of Manipal Police Station, along with Hemanth Kumar and other personnel.
The coordinated operation resulted in the arrest of the two suspects and the recovery of valuables allegedly connected with the burglary cases.
Investigation continues
The police are continuing their investigation into the five cases to establish the full extent of the alleged offences.
The recovery of gold, silver, cash, foreign currency, vehicles and other property is expected to help investigators identify the items belonging to individual complainants.
The arrests also highlight the importance of reporting house burglaries promptly, particularly when residences are left locked for extended periods.
Police are expected to conduct further investigation into the accused’s activities and verify whether they are connected to any other property offences in Udupi and surrounding areas.