In a significant crackdown, the Bengaluru police have apprehended two individuals from Tamil Nadu for orchestrating a series of laptop thefts from paying guest accommodations scattered across the city. The authorities have successfully recovered 48 stolen laptops with a cumulative estimated value of around Rs 40 lakh.
The Arrest and the Accused
The Electronic City police identified the arrested men as Gautam, aged 30, who worked as a laptop service technician, and Rajadorai, aged 33, an autorickshaw driver. Police records indicate that Rajadorai already had two prior criminal cases registered against him in Tamil Nadu. The duo's arrest followed a detailed investigation triggered by a formal complaint.
How the Theft Ring Was Uncovered
The case first came to light when a resident of a PG facility under the Electronic City police limits filed a complaint on December 1, 2025. The complainant reported that unknown persons had entered his room through an open door and made off with three laptops belonging to him and his friends sometime between the night of November 28 and the morning of November 29.
Acting on this complaint, the police registered a case and initiated a probe. Officers meticulously examined the crime scene, scoured through CCTV footage from the vicinity, and gathered intelligence from informants to zero in on the suspects.
Modus Operandi and Disposal of Stolen Goods
The breakthrough came on December 11, when the police took Rajadorai into custody from Tamil Nadu. During interrogation, he reportedly confessed to the Electronic City theft and revealed his involvement in multiple similar laptop thefts from various PG facilities in Bengaluru.
His confession led the investigators to Gautam. The police revealed that the duo operated in a well-defined manner: Rajadorai would carry out the thefts, specifically targeting PG hostels where rooms were often left unlocked and security was minimal. He would then hand over the stolen electronic devices to Gautam.
Gautam's role was crucial in the chain. As a technician, he would reformat and refurbish the stolen laptops to erase any trace of their origin before selling them off in the market. The police confirmed that several of the 48 recovered laptops had already been sold through this channel, and efforts are ongoing to trace and retrieve those devices as well.
Both accused were produced before a court, which remanded them to police custody for further questioning. The investigation has highlighted a pattern where the accused exploited the lax security common in many shared accommodations. The police are now working to determine if the arrested men are connected to other unsolved laptop thefts reported in the city.
