Three-month inside job: Domestic staff mastermind villa theft in Bengaluru

Vidyaranyapura police arrest four accused after cracking a carefully planned burglary at an entrepreneur’s villa, recovering gold, cash and silver worth lakhs

Bengaluru police have busted a well-planned house theft involving domestic staff who spent nearly three months plotting a burglary at an entrepreneur’s home, believing a single theft would secure their future.

The Vidyaranyapura police arrested four accused, Manjunath, Chandan, Narendra and Manjit, in connection with a burglary reported from a luxury villa in north Bengaluru. The theft took place at the residence of entrepreneur Gopal Sinde, located at Donata County villa near Lakshmipura Cross, while the family was away on a Christmas vacation.

Investigations revealed that the crime was the result of a detailed plan executed from within the household. Manjit, a domestic worker at the villa, and Narendra, the entrepreneur’s driver, allegedly conceived the idea, questioning how long they could continue working as staff and deciding to “settle life” through a single major theft.

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Manjit, originally from Bihar, and Narendra, a native of Doddaballapura, shared sensitive information about the house with their associates. Narendra roped in his friend Manjunath, a habitual offender with a history of petty thefts, while Manjit involved his Bihar-based friend Chandan.

For nearly three months, the group studied the household routine. When the family left for a Christmas holiday on December 24, the accused struck. The burglary came to light only after the entrepreneur returned from the trip. A complaint was lodged on New Year’s Day.

Initially, the family had no suspicion about the domestic staff. Manjit was considered trustworthy, as he would even return money found in pockets while washing clothes. However, CCTV footage led police to Chandan and Manjunath, whose interrogation exposed the full conspiracy.

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Police recovered 550 grams of gold jewellery, ₹3 lakh in cash and 3 kg of silver from the accused. Investigators also revealed that Manjunath, a devotee of Dharmasthala Manjunath, had vowed to visit the temple if the plan succeeded. After the theft, Manjunath and Chandan reportedly travelled to Dharmasthala to fulfil the vow and later spent nearly three days on a trip using the stolen money.

With the arrests, police say the inside role of the domestic staff was fully uncovered, highlighting the calculated nature of the crime.