₹18-crore heist at builder’s home: Domestic help couple betrays trust in Bengaluru

A couple hired for household work allegedly planned and executed a massive robbery at a builder’s residence in Yamaluru, Marathahalli, fleeing with gold, diamonds, silver, and cash worth ₹18 crore.

A sensational theft has come to light in Bengaluru’s Marathahalli area, where gold, diamonds, silver, and cash worth ₹18 crore were stolen from the residence of builder Shivakumar in Yamaluru. The accused are a couple who had joined the house as domestic workers just 20 days earlier, police said.

The robbery took place on January 25, when no family members were present at the house. Shivakumar was on a foreign trip to the Philippines with friends, while his wife, son, and daughter-in-law had gone to a relative’s house. When the family returned, they found the lockers broken and valuables missing, bringing the crime to light.

Police identified the accused as Dinesh and Kamala, a couple who had joined the household recently. Kamala worked as a house help, while Dinesh was employed as a security guard. Within a short span of 20 days, they gained the family’s trust by efficiently handling all assigned duties.

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Before their arrival, another couple, Vikas and Maya, who had worked at the house for nine months, had expressed their intention to leave for their native place. Shivakumar had asked them to arrange replacements before leaving, following which Dinesh and Kamala were hired.

According to police, Kamala deliberately took the other house help outside on the pretext of going out. As soon as they left, Dinesh became active and reportedly called five to six accomplices to the house. The gang first switched off the UPS system and then broke open lockers located in bedrooms on the ground floor and first floor.

The accused fled with 11.5 kg of gold, diamond jewellery, 5 kg of silver, and ₹11.5 lakh in cash, amounting to a total value of ₹18 crore. Police suspect the involvement of a Nepali gang, indicating that the crime was carried out with careful planning.

Marathahalli police have registered a case and launched an intensive search operation to trace the accused and recover the stolen valuables. Multiple teams have been formed, and CCTV footage from surrounding areas is being examined.