Inter-state burglary accused arrested in Udupi; gold worth ₹3.9 lakh recovered
Udupi: Kaup police on Thursday arrested an inter-state burglary accused in connection with a house theft case reported from Mallaru village in Kaup taluk.
The arrested man has been identified as Umesh Balegar, also known as Umesh P and Umesh Reddy (47), a native of Fakirnakatta in Mallaru village and currently residing in Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu.
The burglary occurred on December 4, when the house owner, Raghavendra Kini, had locked his house and kept the key inside the electricity meter box before stepping out.
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Taking advantage of this, the accused allegedly retrieved the key, entered the house, locked it from inside, and escaped with gold ornaments weighing about 72 grams, valued at approximately ₹3.9 lakh, along with silver articles worth ₹1,500. A case was registered at the Kaup police station.
Based on the modus operandi, a special investigation team was formed under the guidance of Udupi Superintendent of Police Hariram Shankar. The team, led by Kaup Circle Inspector Azamat Ali G, conducted a detailed investigation and succeeded in tracing and arresting the accused.
Police said the accused is a habitual offender with an extensive criminal record. He is involved in around 16 theft cases registered across Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, and about 17 cases in various police stations in Karnataka. He has already been convicted in at least 8 cases.
Several non-bailable warrants have been issued against him by courts in Kerala and Karnataka, including cases registered at Thanipalam, Mavoor and Thrissur police stations in Kerala, and Subrahmanya, Belthangady, Puttur Nagar, Moodbidri, Basavanahalli (Chikkamagaluru) and Sirsi Rural police stations in Karnataka.
Police also said that a long-pending case registered at Thirthahalli police station in Shivamogga district was pending against him. In addition, proclamation orders have been issued in two cases registered at Sringeri police station in Chikkamagaluru district.
The arrest operation involved Padubidri Sub-Inspector Anil Kumar T Naik, Kaup Sub-Inspector Shubhakar, and police personnel Rajesh, Mohanchandra, Raghu, Jeevan, jeep driver Jagadish, and CDR section staff Dinesh and Nitin.
Police officials described the arrest as a significant breakthrough in curbing interstate burglary networks operating in the coastal region.
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Centre must roll back LPG price hike, says Kerala CM
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday demanded that the Centre immediately roll back the recent steep hike in LPG prices, alleging that it has severely impacted common people and small businesses.
In a statement, Vijayan described the increase as "one of the most cruel" in the history of cooking gas price revisions, saying it has pushed ordinary households and entrepreneurs into distress.
He said the price of commercial LPG cylinders had been raised by Rs 993 in one go, crossing Rs 3,000, which would adversely affect the hotel and restaurant sector.
The hike in the price of 5-kg LPG cylinders by Rs 251.50 would hit migrant workers and small families who depend on them, he added.
The chief minister alleged that the hike came immediately after the conclusion of Assembly elections in states, placing an additional burden on common people, small-scale entrepreneurs and migrant labourers.
Pointing to the ongoing crisis in West Asia, Vijayan said the hospitality sector has already been facing a shortage of cooking gas for months and the latest price increase would be difficult to absorb.
The burden would ultimately be passed on to consumers, he said, warning that several small establishments, including those in Kerala, could be forced to shut down.
Accusing oil companies of prioritising profits over public welfare, he said such a trend of imposing additional financial burden on people cannot be accepted.
Vijayan also alleged that the Centre's policies favour corporate interests and called for a correction in approach.
He urged the Union government to withdraw the excessive hike without delay.
The price of commercial LPG was hiked by the steepest ever Rs 993 per 19-kg cylinder on May 1, marking the third straight monthly increase due to rising global energy prices linked to the West Asia conflict.
