The Yelahanka police have arrested a 29-year-old habitual offender who bludgeoned a 67-year-old retired engineer to death while trying to rob him at his house in Yelahanka New town on June 21. He also attacked the engineer’s neighbour.
The accused, Naveen Kumar, who was involved in over 20 robberies and had been convicted in one of the cases, told the police that he was desperate for money to repay bills of Rs. 12,500 in a bar he frequented.
Additional Commissioner of Police Hemanth Nimbalkar said that soon after the incident, the police recovered fingerprints and analyzed the CCTV footage from in and around the area to zero in on the suspect.
Armed with the information, a special team of police nabbed Naveen Kumar who upon questioning confessed to the crime.
‘He used to be good at studies’
Naveen Kumar had been good at studies and had secured 76 per cent in SSLC and 82 per cent in PU exam, Mr. Nimbalkar said.
However instead of going to the college, he got into crime, and was arrested by the police in a robbery in 2005. However his time in prison did not reform him, and after completing his sentence went back to a life of crime.
A senior police officer said that Naveen Kumar would dress like an executive and move around the area to identify houses in a cluster. This would help him jump from building to building to reach his target, as he would not use roads to avoid confronting patrolling police and the stray dogs.
According to the police, Naveen used to lead a lavish life and spend money on liquor and gambling. Besides, he had two wives and two children and kept both families separate.
City police commissioner Praveen Sood announced a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh to the team of police who cracked the case .
