Burglar Arrested for Kodambakkam Theft After Fingerprint Found on Children’s Clothes

Ashok Nagar police arrested a 49-year-old burglar at Sholinghur in Ranipet district on Monday night after a fingerprint recovered from a crime scene in Kodambakkam led investigators to him. Police recovered 30 sovereigns of gold jewellery and Rs 1 lakh in cash allegedly stolen during the break-in.

The suspect, identified as 'Market' Suresh, was apprehended following a burglary reported on Saturday at the residence of Baskar, a private firm manager living on Subramania Puram Second Street in Kodambakkam. Baskar and his family members were away from the house when the incident took place.

According to police officials, Suresh took several steps to hide his identity during the break-in. He damaged the exterior lights before entering the premises and covered his face while searching through various rooms for valuables.

While rummaging through a bureau in the house, Suresh handled some children’s clothes with his bare hands. Investigators noted that he left Rs 20,000 in cash beside the clothes before fleeing the spot with the remaining cash and gold jewellery.

The burglary came to light when an alert neighbour noticed lights switched on inside the locked house and contacted Baskar, who subsequently lodged a complaint with the police.

Fingerprint experts examining the scene discovered a print left behind on the children's clothing. When cross-checked against police databases, the print matched Suresh’s existing records. Police noted that while Suresh typically wore gloves during break-ins, touching the clothing with bare hands created the crucial clue needed to trace him.

Police stated that Suresh has a history of criminal activity and faces more than 30 theft cases. His past record includes involvement in a jewellery shop burglary in T Nagar as well as the theft of valuables worth Rs 2 crore in Tiruvallur district.