32-Year-Old Bengaluru Food Delivery Worker Arrested For Stealing Laptops, Phones In Bellandur

A 32-year-old food delivery worker was arrested by the Bellandur police in Bengaluru for allegedly breaking into paying guest (PG) accommodations and stealing electronic devices, according to The Times of India. The suspect, Naveen Reddy, hailing from Medapalli village in Telangana's Warangal district, reportedly stole 16 laptops, four mobile phones, and an iPad before being apprehended.

Reddy, a graduate, had moved to Bengaluru a few years ago and had been working with various online food delivery services. He was residing in a PG in KR Puram, where he noticed that many residents left their doors unlocked or slightly ajar. Taking advantage of this, he began stealing valuable items, primarily electronics, when occupants were asleep. Over the past six months, he allegedly sold the stolen items for quick cash.

The police were alerted on October 27 after a resident reported that three laptops and an iPad had gone missing overnight. Bellandur police increased patrols around PG accommodations, and on October 29, at approximately 3:20 a.m., they spotted Reddy leaving a PG building in Boganahalli. When questioned, he gave evasive responses, prompting a search that uncovered a stolen laptop in his possession.

During interrogation, Reddy confessed to the thefts and revealed his method of selling the stolen items. He had been photographing the goods and listing them on OLX, posing as a second-hand electronics dealer. Buyers from various cities, including Belagavi, Davanagere, and Hubballi, unknowingly purchased the stolen laptops and phones.

The Bellandur police have recovered many of the stolen items and are working to return them to their rightful owners. Reddy has been remanded to judicial custody, and efforts to trace the remaining stolen devices and their owners are ongoing.