Bengaluru: Driver, three friends held for burglary at employer’s house

BENGALURU: A car driver, who along with his three friends, robbed his owner’s house has been arrested by the Malleswaram police. Valuables worth over Rs 46 lakh were recovered from the three accused, the police said.

The accused have been identified as Vinayak alias Shashi, 22, a resident of Pipelane Road in Vijayanagar, Raghu, 22, of Magadi Road 7th Cross, Abhishek alias Abhi, 22, of Cholarapalya, and Lijesh alias Appu, 19, of Bhagamandala in Madikeri.

The robbery was reported in the house of Sampath, a metal trader, located in Malleshwaram on December 20. Around 2.30 pm, three youth had entered the house when Mr Sampath had gone out and his wife, Nagalakshmi (48), was alone. They had used pepper spray, tied her hands and legs and gagged her before escaping with gold, diamond and platinum jewellery.

From the start, the police suspected the role of Mr Sampath’s car driver Vinayak. “But Mr Sampath stopped us, saying that he had complete trust in his driver. Vinayak had been working with Mr Sampath for the last three years and had become close to the family. We anyway picked him up for questioning and he spilt the beans during the interrogation.”

Vinayak told the police he was aware that his employer was rich and had gold and diamond jewellery at home. He hatched a plot to commit the robbery and roped in his school friend Raghu and neighbours for the job, the police said. The robbery was well planned and Vinayak alerted his associates to enter the house after Mr Sampath took him out on some work, the police said.

“The accused had purchased a Ford Ikon car on OLX to commit the offence. The car, a drilling and cutting machine, two knives and other goods have been seized from the accused. Stolen property worth Rs 46 lakh have been recovered ,” they said.