Panchakshari Sangayya Swamy, a tea shop owner with a criminal record as strong as his brew, is accused of being behind 150 to 200 house break-ins across four states. In an extravagant gesture, he allegedly gifted his girlfriend a Rs 3 crore bungalow.
However, his luck ran out in Bengaluru, where he was arrested last week for a house break-in, making off with 400 grams of gold and silver. His accomplice from Uttar Pradesh remains at large, and the police have launched a manhunt. Authorities recovered 180 grams of gold and 150 grams of silver from Swamy, with the rest believed to be in his partner’s possession.
Swamy, a divorcee living with his government-employed mother in Solapur, operated in Rajasthan, Telangana, Gujarat, and Maharashtra before being caught in Bengaluru. Mumbai police, who had arrested him multiple times in the past, confirmed his lavish lifestyle and connections with struggling Bollywood actresses.
Swamy had been jailed in Gujarat in 2016 but resumed his criminal activities after being released. Though he hadn’t committed a theft in Bengaluru since 2010, he returned to the city this year at the suggestion of his accomplice, police said. According to sources, Swamy claimed this was his first visit to Bengaluru in recent years.
