Well planned crime: How Telangana burglar evaded arrest by studying cops' probes

When finally apprehended, he initially pleaded innocence, but faced with the evidence, he confessed to committing six offences, the police said.

Sheelam Shetti Venkata Ramana or Srinu, a 50-year-old habitual property offender with over 250 house break-ins was held by the Pocharam IT Corridor police, in Telangana, on Monday, The Times of India reported, adding that he was well verse with how the cops probed such cases.

Srinu, accordingly, took precautions to evade authorities and not leave clues behind as he also escaped the CCTV surveillance.

As a routine property offender, Srinu would park his bike at an isolated spot at least 2 km away from his target property and walk the distance.

When going to break-in, the seasoned offender made sure not to use a mobile phone, wore gloves to mask his fingerprints, and a cap to avoid being caught on CCTV cameras, the police said as per the publication.

Srinu would also change his clothes while heading for the crime, and after he'd done it. He would sometimes pretend to be handicapped and limped while at other times, he walked normally to dodge the police, per the statements given by the probing officials.

When finally apprehended, he initially pleaded innocence, but faced with the evidence, Srinu confessed to committing six offences, the cops told ToI.

Srinu, from Telangana's Jangaon, had his first taste of crime in his teens and eventually became an expert in hitting locked houses. He initially operated in Jangaon and its surrounding areas, but then expanded his reach to Hyderabad and then Andhra Pradesh.

Repeated arrests did not deter Srinu as he raked up the triple digit numbers. However, he repented in 2014, and the then-Cyberabad police commissioner got an eatery opened for him in Uppal, knowing about his willingness to change for good.

The business ran well till it was demolished in 2020 and Srinu contracted Covid, running out of livelihood opportunities there, the publication detailed.

He later moved to Jangaon and initially had set up a plate-making business, after getting a loan, but this ran into losses, and pushed Srinu into a financial crisis. This is when he is said to have chosen the path of committing burglary again.