A carefully planned burglary by four security guards went awry as they cut off the electricity supply but failed to account for the backup power system kicking in.
A month ago, the guards who hail from Nepal, broke into the house of a software engineer Shashikiran. They stole goods and valuables worth ₹14 lakh.
The prime accused, Bheem Bahaddur Thapa, 31, had been working as a security guard in the apartment complex next to Shashikiran’s house for six months prior to the burglary.
According to the police, in December, Shashikiran requested Thapa to keep an eye on his house as he was travelling with his family.
Thapa disconnected the power supply with the aim of rendering the CCTV cameras on the premises ineffective. He roped in three other security guards from Nepal — Jayaraj Bahaddur Puri, 25; Dharmaraj Bhaddur Bahora, 40; and Ganesh Bahaddur Thapa, 24 — to break into the house. The gang stole goods and valuables from the house,” said the police.
However, they did not know that Shashikiran had installed a UPS as well, which was activated the moment they cut off the power supply. Hence, the CCTV cameras operated as normal and recorded the burglary.
After the burglary, the men divided the loot, quit their jobs and went into hiding. But before Thapa could leave the city, he was tracked down by the Banashankari police who have arrested his associates too.
Background checks
S.D. Sharanappa, Deputy Commissioner of Police (south), who supervised the investigation, has advised people to verify the background of security guards and domestic help before hiring them. “Employers should ask for their recent photographs, their local and permanent addresses, and the details of a local contact person for reference,” he said.
