Bangalore: Clueless thieves take cops to police station

Bangalore Mirror

Bangalore, 22 June 2011:  When Basavanagudi cops set out in civil dress (mufti) to nab two thieves, what followed was a comedy of errors with the thieves themselves taking the cops to the police station!

 

This is how the story unfolded: Two cabs drivers, R Santosh Kumar and E Lokesh, chose to attempt bigger crimes after successfully snatching a gold chain worth Rs 55,000 from an old woman in Basavanagudi. On May 31, the two struck at the house of techie M Srikant in Mahalakshmi Layout and made away with valuables worth Rs 14 lakh. During investigation, the cops learnt that the duo had shifted base from Mahalakshmi Layout to Basavanagudi area. 

 

Mahalakshmi Layout police found it difficult to monitor their movements and alerted their counterparts in Basavanagudi police station.

 

Police recovered goods worth Rs 14 lakh from burglars R Santosh Kumar and E Lokesh

 

On Sunday, Basavanagudi cops were tipped off that the two were moving in a vehicle near N R Colony.

 

Basavanagudi police inspector Mohammed Aslam put together a small team of policemen to nab them. The dress code for the operation was mufti. Aslam too joined the pursuit by getting behind the wheels of the private car the team took for the hunt.

 

On spotting the car of Santosh and Lokesh, the police team intercepted it. The clueless duo began honking furiously to vent their anger. The policemen alighted from their vehicle and ordered the two to surrender. But the twosome didn’t take this order seriously. Instead, they picked up a quarrel.

 

As a crowd gathered, the duo convinced members of the public that it was a case of road rage and alleged that they were being bullied. The cops found themselves at the receiving end as they were not in police uniform. Without knowing who Aslam was, Santosh and Lokesh even boasted in front of him that they knew the inspector of Basavanagudi police station and other senior officers. They even dropped the names of a few DCP-level officers.

 

As the chaos continued, a few in the crowd suggested that both parties head to the Basavanagudi police station to resolve the dispute. The thieves readily agreed and led the policemen to their own station.

 

Once inside the station, the two called out for the police inspector. Reality hit them when Aslam walked into his chamber and sat on his chair! Realising they had walked into the arms of the cops, the two started apologising. Subsequently, the cops took over. During questioning the two admitted that they were part of a bigger gang which had stolen over two kilograms of gold. Cops recovered stolen goods worth `14 lakh. Santosh and Lokesh are now in judicial custody.