Police in Basavanagudi, Bengaluru have taken into custody a 46-year-old woman accused of carrying out a series of thefts at wedding venues by blending in as a family member of the bride or groom. The accused, identified as Revathi, has been sent to police custody for 12 days as the investigation continues.
Revathi, who previously worked as a guest lecturer and resides in Udayanagar, K R Puram, is suspected to have targeted several convention halls, exploiting the chaos and crowds typical of wedding ceremonies, said a report by The Times of India. Following her arrest, officers recovered gold jewellery weighing 262 grams, estimated to be worth around ₹32 lakh.
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Investigators said Revathi had left her teaching career a few years ago and allegedly turned to stealing valuables from marriage functions.
The case surfaced after a woman from Manjunatha Nagar filed a complaint, stating that she and her mother had attended a wedding of a relative at a Basavanagudi marriage hall on November 23.
{{/usCountry}}The case surfaced after a woman from Manjunatha Nagar filed a complaint, stating that she and her mother had attended a wedding of a relative at a Basavanagudi marriage hall on November 23.
{{/usCountry}}They had placed a bag containing a gold chain weighing about 32 grams and an imitation collar chain in one of the rooms at the venue. When they later returned, both items were found missing. The gold ornament alone was valued at nearly ₹3 lakh, said the report.
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Police traced and arrested Revathi at her home on December 1. During questioning, she reportedly admitted to the theft and disclosed her involvement in similar incidents at two other wedding halls in Basavanagudi and at venues in other districts.
She also told investigators that part of the stolen jewellery was kept at her residence, while the rest had been pledged at a bank in Kadubeesanahalli to secure a loan, the report stated.
According to the police, the accused would attend weddings and carefully watch guests, especially women wearing heavy gold jewellery, while they were busy with rituals. She would then sneak into rooms where valuables were left unattended, steal the items, and leave the premises without raising suspicion.
During interrogation, Revathi allegedly told police that mounting financial difficulties pushed her into committing the crimes. She cited her husband’s heart-related illness, her son’s education expenses, and general household costs as reasons for resorting to theft, as per the report.