THIS IS A LONG STORY, BUT VERY INTERESTING AND VERY RELEVANT TO ALL OF US. IT HAPPENED IN NG II.
I WILL NOT MAKE IT SHORT AS IT CONTAINS ALL ELEMENTS OF A THRILLER, A MYSTERY, INTENSIVE INQUIRY, SCRUTINY OF EVIDENCE AND LOTS OF METICULOUS INVESTIGATIVE WORK. IT HAS A MAZE OF RED HERRINGS AT EVERY STEP, MISTAKES, DEAD CLUES, WRONG ASSUMPTIONS, MISLEADING TRACES, BLANK HINTS, DEAD-ENDS AND SUSPENSE WHICH ALL CONSTITUTE A DETECTIVE’S NIGHTMARE!
THE THIEF WAS INTELLIGENT AND A MASTER-STRATEGIST. POLICE HAD A TOUGH CASE AND NEEDED EXTRAORDINARILY INTELLIGENT INVESTIGATORS TO CRACK THE CASE. AND THEY CRACKED IT, AFTER WEEKS OF SLEEPLESS NIGHTS! A FEATHER IN THE CAP OF BANGALORE CITY CRIME BRANCH POLICE.
IT ALL BEGAN WITH A CLEAN, NEATLY EXECUTED THEFT. NO BROKEN DOORS OR FORCED ENTRY. IT APPEARED LIKE AN INSIDER JOB. SOMEONE HAD GAINED ENTRY INTO THE APARTMENT WITH A SET OF ORIGINAL KEYS. EVERYTHING WAS AS THE OWNERS HAD LEFT WHEN THEY WENT OUT OF THEIR APARTMENT TO COLLECT TWO BIG COURIER PARCELS THAT COULD NOT BE DOOR-DELIVERED.
THE COURIER GUY WAS PESTERING THE KRISHNAMURTHYS FOR THREE DAYS TO PERSONALLY COME AND COLLECT THE PARCELS. SO, MR.AND MRS.KRISHNAMURTHY LEFT HOME AT 245PM ON 10TH DECEMBER, 2011 AND WERE LITERALLY TAKEN FOR A LONG RIDE TILL CHAMARAJPET. THE CALLER MADE THEM WAIT FOR MORE THAN AN HOUR AND NEVER ARRIVED. THE COUPLE RETURNED HOME AND FOUND THE STUDY LIGHT ON. SENSING SOMETHING AMISS, MR.KRISHNAMURTHY WENT INTO THE BEDROOM AND FOUND THE ALMIRAH OPEN AND THE GOLD ORNAMENTS AND CASH CLEANED OUT FROM THE LOCKER INSIDE THE CUPBOARD. NOTHING ELSE WAS TOUCHED. BUT, A CALM HOUSEHOLD WAS DEVASTATED!
POLICE CAME, SAW AND WENT AWAY SINCE IT WAS ALREADY LATE IN THE EVENING. FINGER PRINT EXPERTS ARRIVED AND GOT SOME PRINTS WHICH DID NOT STRIKE A MATCH WITH ANY KNOWN CRIMINAL. THE ONLY VITAL CLUES WERE THE DOOR BEING OPENED WITH KEYS AND THE THIEVES KNOWING THE PRESENCE OF GOLD AND CASH IN SAFE LOCKER AND THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THE ALMIRAH WAS NEVER LOCKED. THE SUSPICION IMMEDIATELY FELL ON THE MAIDSERVANT WHO HAD JOINED JUST ABOUT TWO MONTHS BACK. BUT, WHEN THE MAIDSERVANT CAME AND ATTENDED TO HER WORK NEXT MORNING WITHOUT ANY HINT OR KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT HAD OCCURRED, HER INVOLVEMENT WAS RULED OUT.
THE PREVIOUS MAID SERVANT HAD A HISTORY OF SOME MINOR CRIMES. IT WAS PRESUMED THAT THIS LADY HAD SOMEHOW MANAGED TO MAKE A DUPLICATE SET OF KEYS AND PASSED IT ON TO SOMEONE WITH INSTRUCTIONS ABOUT THE PRESENCE OF VALUABLES AND THE LAYOUT OF THE HOUSE. VERY PLAUSIBLE INDEED! POLICE KEPT A WATCH ON HER MOVEMENTS AND CHECKED ALL HER MOBILE CALLS. NOTHING CAME OUT OF THIS LEAD. POLICE COULD NOT TAKE HER IN FOR QUESTIONING WITHOUT STRONG EVIDENCE OF HER INVOLVEMENT.
THE CCTV FOOTAGE AT THE MAIN ENTRANCE GATE SHOWED TWO OUTSIDERS ENTERING AT ABOUT 3PM ON DECEMBER 10TH. THE SECURITY PERSONNEL RECALLED THAT THEY WERE COURIER DELIVERY BOYS AND THEY WERE ALLOWED IN AFTER ENTRIES WERE MADE IN THE REGISTER. ONE NEIGHBOUR IN BLOCK 11 SAW TWO GUYS GOING UP THE STAIRS AND UPON ENQUIRY WAS TOLD THAT THEY WERE GOING TO DELIVER A LETTER TO 11/07. THIS NEIGHBOUR IDENTIFIED THESE GUYS FROM THE CCTV FOOTAGE. SO, IT WAS NOW CERTAIN THAT TWO GUYS MASQUERADING AS COURIER BOYS HAD ENTERED BLOCK 11 AND WERE SEEN GOING TOWARDS FLAT 07.
THE SUSPECT NOW WAS THE COURIER GUY WHO DELIVERED MONTHLY MAGAZINES AND WHO HAD OBTAINED AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT WITH PHONE NUMBER OF MRS.KRISHNAMURTHY ON HIS DELIVERY SHEET. TO THE EXTENT THAT HE KNEW THE HOUSE AND THE PHONE NUMBER IT FITTED WELL. BUT, HOW DID HE GET THE KEYS TO GAIN ENTRY INTO THE HOUSE? NOTHING CAME OUT OF THIS LEAD EITHER.
THE ONLY SOLID CLUE AVAILABLE WAS THE MOBILE PHONE NUMBER FROM WHICH THE PARCEL GUY HAD CALLED FROM. THIS NUMBER WAS RECORDED ON MR.KRISHNAMURTHY’S PHONE. POLICE OBTAINED THE SIM CARD DETAILS AND TO THEIR DISMAY FOUND THAT IT WAS SOLD IN GULBARGA IN THE NAME OF ONE HAFIZ. THIS GUY HAD NO IDEA THAT HIS NAME HAD BEEN USED FOR BUYING A SIM! THE ONLY CALLS MADE AND RECEIVED FROM THIS SIM PERTAINED TO MR.KRISHNAMURTHY! NO OTHER CALLS.
THE INVESTIGATORS THEN IDENTIFIED THE MOBILE IMEI NUMBER FROM THE SERVICE PROVIDER’S DATABASE AND FOUND THAT FOUR MORE SIMS WERE BEING USED ON THIS MOBILE. ALL CALLS MADE AND RECEIVED FROM ALL THESE FOUR SIMS WERE TRACED AND THE CALLERS WERE QUESTIONED. THE PHONE WAS KEPT UNDER SURVEILLANCE. CALLS MADE FROM THESE SIMS ON 10TH DECEMBER WERE VERIFIED. ONE NUMBER POPPED UP REPEATEDLY. THE OWNER OF THIS NUMBER WAS TAKEN IN FOR QUESTIONING. HE WAS ONE OF THE TWO GUYS WHO HAD ENTERED THE APARTMENT COMPLEX AS A FAKE COURIER BOY TO DELIVER A LETTER TO 11/07 AND WHOM THE NEIGHBOUR HAD QUESTIONED AND IDENTIFIED ON THE CCTV FOOTAGE. THE POLICE HAVE MEANS OF EXTRACTING INFORMATION WHEN THEY LAY THEIR HANDS ON A SUSPECT. HE SPILLED THE BEANS. HIS PARTNER WHO HAD ACCOMPANIED HIM AS A COURIER BOY WAS ALSO ARRESTED. BUT THESE WERE HIRED PETTY OFFENDERS WHO ONLY EXECUTED A WELL THOUGHT OUT PLAN. ONLY ONE OF THE TWO HAD A PAST POLICE CASE. THEY HAD BEEN USED TO ENTER THE APARTMENT AND STEAL ALL VALUABLES. THE KING-PIN WAS STILL AT LARGE. THIS MASTER THIEF HAD GIVEN THEM THE KEYS.
THE GANG HAD JOINTLY CASED THE APARTMENT ON NOVEMBER 15TH BEFORE THEY EMBARKED ON THE JOB. THEY KNEW THAT CCTV WAS OPERATIONAL AT THE MAIN GATE. ALL COURIER DELIVERY GUYS WERE ALLOWED INSIDE ON 10TH DEC ONLY AFTER THEY MADE ENTRIES IN A SEPARATE REGISTER AT MAIN GATE. ONE GUY ENTERED AT 3 PM AND WAITED FOR THE KRISHNAMURTHYS TO GO OUT ON THEIR WILD GOOSE CHASE. THE OTHER GUY CAME IN AT 323 PM AND TOGETHER THEY WENT TO BLOCK 11. UNFORTUNATELY, THEY CAME FACE TO FACE WITH A NEIGHBOUR WHO QUESTIONED THEM AND WAS ABLE TO LATER ON IDENTIFY THEM. THE DUO FINISHED THEIR JOB AND DECAMPED WITH THE LOOT.
BUT HOW DID THEY GET THE KEYS?
THE POLICE LAID A TRAP AND ARRESTED A CAB DRIVER WORKING FOR EZEE CABS. HE WAS ASKED TO PICK UP A PASSENGER FROM JAYADEVA HEART HOSPITAL. HE PERHAPS KNEW THAT POLICE WERE ON HIS TRAIL BECAUSE HIS TWO HIRED ACCOMPLICES HAD BEEN ARRESTED. AFTER INITIAL REFUSALS HE RELENTED AND CAME TO JAYADEVA HOSPITAL WHERE THE POLICE TOOK HIM IN. HE FEIGNED IGNORANCE AND SAID HE HAD COME TO JAYADEVA FOR A HEALTH CHECK-UP FOR HIS HEART PROBLEM. THE POLICE HAD NO PHOTO IDENTITY AND WERE A BIT CONFUSED WHETHER THEY HAD THE RIGHT GUY. BUT, THE POLICE CAN SEE THROUGH A THIEF WHEN THEY SEE ONE. THEY COULD NOT USE FORCE, SINCE HE WAS A HEART PATIENT AND WAS JUST A SUSPECT. ANYHOW THE SUSPECT WAS INTERROGATED AND FINALLY, HE ADMITTED TO HIS ROLE IN THIS INTELLIGENT PLOT WHICH IS A FIRST CASE OF ITS KIND IN POLICE HISTORY.
ONE YEAR BACK, MRS. KRISHNAMURTHY HAD HIRED A DRIVER FROM EZEE CABS. THIS CAB DRIVER WAS THE MASTER CRIMINAL. HE MADE A DUPLICATE SET OF KEYS FROM THE ORIGINAL KEYSET THAT WAS LEFT IN THE REAR SEAT IN THE CARRY BAG WHEN SHE HAD GONE TO THE DOCTOR. HE PATIENTLY WAITED FOR ONE YEAR BEFORE USING THE KEYS.
HE CALLED MR.KRISHNAMURTHY AND ASKED HIM TO TAKE DELIVERY OF TWO BIG PARCELS AND PULLED THE COUPLE OUT OF THEIR HOUSE. HE WAS WAITING OUTSIDE NG II AND HIS HIRED ACCOMPLICES WENT IN AND CAME OUT WITH THE BOOTY. HE SHARED SOME OF THE CASH AND TOOK AWAY THE GOLD ORNAMENTS. BUT, ONE OF THE THIEVES (WHO WENT INTO THE HOUSE) HAD POCKETED SOME JEWELLERY ITEMS. A CLASSIC CASE OF ONE THIEF CHEATING ANOTHER THIEF - GOES TO SHOW THAT THERE IS NO HONOR AMONG THIEVES!
HE HAD SUCCESSFULLY USED THE SAME MODUS-OPERANDI PREVIOUSLY ON TWO OTHER PASSENGERS WHO NEVER LODGED A COMPLAINT. HE HAD FOUR MORE KEYS IN HIS POSSESSION WHICH HE WOULD HAVE USED TO LOOT THE UNSUSPECTING VICTIMS BUT FOR KRISHNNAMURTHY’S COMPLAINT AND THE PERSEVERANCE WITH WHICH THE CCB INVESTIGATED AND SOLVED THE CASE. ALL THE THREE CRIMINALS ARE IN JAIL.
SOME LOOSE ENDS :
1. WHEN THE TWO THIEVES NANDI GARDENS II IN THE GUISE OF COURIER BOYS, NO SECURITY PERSON ACCOMPANIED THEM TO THE HOUSE WHERE THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO DELIVER THE LETTER. ONCE INSIDE, THEY HAD A FREE-RUN.
2. THERE WAS NO VERIFICATION OF THE ENTRIES THEY MADE IN THE REGISTER AT THE MAIN GATE. THEY KNEW THAT IF THEY ENTERED ON FOOT AND COVERED THEIR FACES BEFORE THE CCTV CAMERA, THEIR IDENTIFICATION COULD NOT BE ESTABLISHED. THEY DID NOT COME IN WITH THEIR VEHICLES AS THE VEHICLE NUMBER WOULD HAVE BEEN RECORDED ON THE CAMERA.
3. THEY HAD CHOSEN THE TIMING WELL. AT 3PM MOST OF THE APARTMENT CORRIDORS WOULD BE EMPTY.
4. THERE WAS NO WAY THE SECURITY GUARD COULD HAVE CONFIRMED THE AVAILABILITY OF THE RESIDENT IN THE HOUSE BEFORE ALLOWING THE COURIER GUYS INSIDE TO DELIVER THE LETTERS.
5. THE MASTER THIEF ERRED IN USING THE SAME MOBILE WITH DIFFERENT SIM CARDS. IF HE HAD USED ONE CHEAP INSTRUMENT FOR THIS CASE AND THROWN IT AWAY, THIS CASE WOULD HAVE REMAINED UNSOLVED! EVEN THE MOST INTELLIGENT THIEF LEAVES A TRAIL! THERE IS NO PERFECT CRIME.
6. ON HINDSIGHT, KRISHNAMURHTYS TOOK TOO MUCH FOR GRANTED BY KEEPING GOLD AND OTHER VALUABLES IN THE ALMIRAH AND NOT LOCKING IT. THIS ONLY MADE THE JOB OF THIEVES EASIER.
7. ONE BIG LESSON FOR ALL OF US IS THAT WE SHOULD NEVER LEAVE UNATTENDED BAGGAGE CONTAINING PERSONAL ITEMS IN THE REAR SEAT OF VEHICLES EVEN FOR A SMALL WHILE. NO PLACE IS PERFECTLY SAFE, NOT EVEN NANDI GARDENS.
WHAT WE CAN DO :
1. THE SECURITY AT MAIN GATE SHOULD CHECK AND VERIFY THE OFFICIAL IDENTITY CARDS OF COURIER BOYS ENTERING NANDI GARDENS II. ONE SECURITY GUARD SHOULD ACCOMPANY THEM TO THE HOUSE WHERE THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO DELIVER THE LETTER.
2. THIS PROTOCOL SHOULD BE FOLLOWED EVEN IN THE CASE OF SERVICE PERSONNEL WHO COME FOR SERVICING AQUAGUARD, REFRIGERATOR, TV, WASHING MACHINES ETC.
3. THE LICENSE NUMBER AND OTHER DETAILS OF THE CAB DRIVERS SHOULD BE CHECKED AND ENTERED BY THE SECURITY SUPERVISOR WHENEVER AN EMPTY CAB COMES IN TO PICK UP PASSENGERS.
4. FIX ANOTHER CAMERA AT THE ENTRY TO ZOOM IN ON FACES OF PEOPLE ENTERING THROUGH MAIN GATE.
5. MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE SHOULD HAVE AN INTERCOM SYSTEM TO ALL APARTMENTS AND ALLOW VISITORS ONLY IF THE OWNER CONFIRMS THEIR IDENTITY OF VISITORS TO THE SECURITY SUPERVISOR.
(IF THIS SYSTEM HAD BEEN IN PLACE, THE FAKE COURIER GUYS WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO GO TO BLOCK 11 ON 10TH DECEMBER, NOR WOULD THE GANG HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO SURVEY THE PREMISES ON 15TH NOVEMBER).
