Film buff constable helps nab Bollywood-inspired burglar

New Delhi, Jan 13 (PTI) He learnt the trick ofescaping after a heist from Bollywood film "Jugnu" but helanded in police net soon after a burglary at a west Delhigurudwara as a movie buff constable persisted with thesearches even as his colleagues threw up their hands.

Manjeet Singh was arrested from Gurudwara Guru NanakSatsang in Sham Nagar area soon after he committed the theftyesterday, V Renganathan, Deputy Commissioner of Police(West), said. He allegedly stole cash from two cash chests ofthe gurudwara.

"He had created an escape route before committing theburglary," he said. Singh was spotted hiding on the roof ofthe gurudwara by beat constable Naresh who has seen somemovie in which the hero was a burglar who used to first createescape route whenever he used to break into any house.

Naresh also recalled that the burglar in the film alsoused to identify a hiding place within that house which couldbe used for hiding just in case of a real-time threat and towalk out later once the situation allowed to do so.

"When the policeman asked him who he was, the personreplied that ''Log Mujhe Jugnu kahte hai kyonki mein raat kochamakta hoon'' (People call me ''Jugnu'' (firefly) because Iglow in the night)," Renganathan said.

He was identified as Manjeet Singh and a personalsearch yielded Rs 4,844 of currency notes and Rs 2,958 ofcoins), a clock and some other articles.

"Singh told police that he was inspired by the film''Jugnu'' and used the same modus operandi to commit the theft,"he said.

The police had reached the spot soon after gurudwaraofficials informed them about the incident. Two cash chestswere missing.

"The crime scene was inspected and it was found thatthe burglar had climbed up the balcony of the first floor byusing the hard top of an already parked Tata Sumo adjoiningthe gurudwara.

"Thereafter, the burglar had taken the help of therain water pipes to reach the second floor balcony. Once inthe second floor balcony, the burglar had removed the grill ofone of the windows of the main hall of the gurudwara to enterit and reached the cash chests.

"It was observed that all the exit doors of thegurudwara had been unbolted by the burglar, probably to use asescape routes in a contingency," Renganathan said.

The cash chests were found lying on the stairs goingto the roof. An intensive searche was conducted at thegurudwara but could not find the culprit.

"Not satisfied with the results, Naresh again startedthe search minutely and it was at the roof top that he foundSingh," Renganathan said.