Trusted to traitor: How a quiet Bengaluru morning led to an ₹18-crore inside heist

What started as a family outing turned into one of Bengaluru's most shocking burglaries, with valuables worth ₹18 crore vanishing from a home.

Published on: Jan 29, 2026, 10:26:42 IST

By HT News Desk

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What began as a routine family outing for a religious ceremony ended in one of Bengaluru’s most audacious residential burglaries, after valuables worth nearly ₹18 crore vanished from a businessman’s home in just a few hours.

The Bengaluru police have identified a Nepalese couple as the accused. (PTI)

Police said the theft was allegedly executed by domestic workers who had unrestricted access to the house and intimate knowledge of the family’s routine, turning trust into the key tool of the crime.

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The incident occurred on January 25 at a residence in Yamaluru near Kempapura Road, under the Marathahalli police station limits, when the 28-year-old businessman, his mother and wife stepped out to attend a Bhoomi Pooja.

Investigators believed the timing was no coincidence, as the accused allegedly tracked the family’s movements while working inside the house and struck during the narrow window when the home was completely empty.

How the crime unfolded

According to the complaint, multiple lockers on the ground and first floors were forcibly opened using an iron rod, pointing to preparation rather than a spur-of-the-moment act. The stolen haul included approximately 11.5 kg of gold and diamond jewellery, nearly 5 kg of silver ornaments and ₹11.5 lakh in cash, together valued at around ₹18 crore.

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In a chilling detail, police suspected the accused may have cut off the power supply to disable CCTV cameras before carrying out the theft, suggesting a clear understanding of the house’s security setup, according to a report by news agency PTI.

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The accused have been identified as a Nepalese couple employed at the residence, along with other unidentified accomplices, all of whom fled soon after the burglary. Marathahalli police registered an FIR on January 25 under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and have formed special teams to trace the suspects and recover the stolen valuables, the report added.

(With inputs from PTI)

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HT News Desk
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