In a significant breakthrough, Udupi District Police have apprehended a notorious interstate thief wanted in connection with more than 30 criminal cases registered across four South Indian states. The arrest was made on Friday, bringing to book a seasoned criminal who had been evading law enforcement for a considerable period.
The Arrest and the Accused
The arrested individual has been identified as Umesh Balegara, also known as Umesh P or Umesh Reddy, aged 47. Originally a resident of Mallar village in Kaup taluk, Udupi district, he was most recently residing in Suchindram, located in Kanyakumari taluk of Tamil Nadu. His arrest is linked to a theft case reported in his native Mallar village on December 4.
This particular case was registered by Kaup police after valuables including 72 grams of gold and Rs 3.9 lakh in cash were stolen from the house of a man named Raghavendra Kini. A dedicated police team, led by senior officers, successfully tracked down and arrested Balegara.
A Long and Widespread Criminal Record
Udupi Superintendent of Police Hariram Shankar revealed the extensive criminal footprint of the accused. Seventeen cases are registered against him at various police stations within Karnataka alone. Beyond the state borders, he faces sixteen more cases in the neighbouring states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh.
Out of these numerous charges, he has already been convicted and sentenced in eight cases. His criminal activities have prompted several courts to issue non-bailable warrants against him. These warrants are pending from police stations in locations including:
- Thenhipalam, Mavoor, and Thrissur in Kerala.
- Subrahmanya, Belthangady, Puttur Town, and Moodabidri in Dakshina Kannada district.
- Sirsi Rural in Uttara Kannada district.
- Basavanahalli in Chikkamagaluru district.
Furthermore, a long-pending warrant is also active from Thirthahalli police station in Shivamogga district. In addition, a court has issued a proclamation order against Balegara concerning two separate cases registered at the Sringeri police station.
The Police Operation and Team Effort
The arrest was the result of a coordinated effort by a special police team. The operation was led by Additional SP Sudhakar S Naik and involved former ASP of Karkala Subdivision Harsha Priyamvada, DSP Prabhu DT, and PI Azmath Ali G.
They were ably assisted by other police personnel including Padubidri PSI Anil Kumar T Naik, Kaup PSI Shubhakara, ASI Rajesh, and staff members Mohanachandra, Jeevan, Jagadish, Dinesh, and Nithin. This collaborative effort across ranks was crucial in locating and apprehending the elusive accused.
The arrest of Umesh Balegara marks a crucial victory for the police forces of multiple states, potentially solving a string of theft cases and bringing a prolific interstate offender before the law. It underscores the importance of inter-district and inter-state police coordination in tackling criminals who operate across jurisdictional boundaries.
