Bengaluru, India

An extremely bizarre case of robbery has been reported from the Indian state of Karnataka. A duo stole over 10,000 pairs of shoes over the last seven years from outside temples and houses. Temples are often scenes of such crimes where people normally report losing their shoes. The two culprits also seemed to have identified houses and apartment complexes as possible places of robbery since many people don't take shoes inside the houses.

Advertisment

So they devised a method to earn money. They moved around in an autorickshaw at night and targeted apartments and temples. When they spotted expensive shoes, they stole them. They then cleaned the shoes to make them look as good as new. They then sold them in Ooty, Puducherry and other tourism hubs. In all, the duo reportedly managed to steal more than 10,000 shoes in the last seven years. 

Also read: Truck driver nearly buries two women alive under gravel in India’s Madhya Pradesh | Video

They have now been arrested after the police followed leads in a case of robbery filed last week. The accused have been identified as Gangadhar and Yellappa. The matter came to light when Bengaluru police received a report of theft from a house in BEL Layout in Vidyaranyapura. The police scanned through the CCTV footage of the area and noticed an autorickshaw that they believed was used to steal shoes and two gas cylinders from the house. They soon traced the accused and arrested them. 

Advertisment

The police were shocked to see the loot stored at their house. They found 715 pairs of branded shoes from their home. The total worth of loot recovered stands at an estimated Rs 10 lakh ($11953), which includes some other items as well besides shoes. 

(With inputs from agencies)