A software engineer who led a double life, working in the tech sector by day and committing serial house break-ins by night, has now been arrested by the Visakhapatnam police for a string of burglaries across Andhra Pradesh.
The 27-year-old accused, identified as Achi Mahesh Reddy, also known as Sunny (PTI)The 27-year-old accused, identified as Achi Mahesh Reddy, also known as Sunny, was taken into custody on Sunday after months of investigation following allegations of repeated night thefts in the city.
Investigators wondered if Sunny, a post-graduate who had earlier worked in a reputed IT company in Hyderabad, was allegedly behind the theft, NDTV reported. A native of Kakinara, Sunny lived in Madhavadhara area of Visakhapatnam.
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26 Break-in and counting, ‘to fund lifestyle’Despite his formal education and job in the IT sector, police said he turned to crime to maintain an expensive lifestyle that included owning a luxury BMW car and traveling abroad several times.
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After his arrest, the Visakhapatnam police were able to crack down on 26 housebreaking incidents reported from different parts of the city, including Gajuwaka, Arilova, Malkapuram, Pendurthi and Duvada.
In this case, jewelery and cash value are approximate ₹Over 1,084 grams of gold, over 6,300 grams of silver, worth Rs 24.66 lakh were stolen. ₹40,500 in cash.
During the arrest, the police recovered about 699 grams of gold ornaments, 3.8 kg of silver ornaments; The luxury BMW car was allegedly bought using stolen money; A scooter, and “burglary tools”. The value of the salvaged property was estimated ₹15.63 lakhs.
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A history of theft as a teenagerAccording to Police Commissioner Shankar Bharat Bagchi, Sunny had a history of theft during his teenage years. At the age of 15, he was caught housebreaking in PM Palem area and was sent to a juvenile home.
After his release, he carried out burglaries in the vicinity of Kakinada, Sarapavaram, Ramachandrapuram, Indrapalem and Rajahmundry and was later imprisoned in Rajahmundry Central Jail for 14 months. Police records indicate that he was involved in more than 60 theft cases across the state.
Investigators said Sunny used a mask, cap and gloves along with tools like hammers, screwdrivers and drilling machines to break into the house. All related cases have been registered against him, and police are preparing charges for trial as the investigation continues.
