Bangalore police have arrested Talpad Navagan alias Shankar (50), a notorious interstate burglar, who converted the stolen ornaments into busts of his late father and brother and installed them in a temple!
The police have seized about eight kilograms of gold from Talpad who is involved in more than 100 burglaries in various cities. Talpad’s associates Rajesh and Mitesh too were arrested.
According to the police in Bangalore, Talpad is a native of Ode, Gujarat. He relocated and settled in Hosakerehalli, Bangalore, after he was released from jail in 2005. Talpad and his family members would camp in a city and look for rich houses to burgle. Talpad’s wife Shobha is still at large.
The Bangalore police, with aid from their Gujarat counterparts, caught Talpad and his associates red-handed while committing a burglary. On reaching Ode, the police realized that Talpad lived quite a lavish life.
Talpad owns a two-storey bungalow fitted with 30 CCTV cameras. He also owns four cars, three stone-crushing units and a pug.
But for Ode’s villagers, Talpad is a loving son who built a temple and installed his father and brother’s statues.
Ahmedabad’s crime branch inspector RR Sarvaiya said, “Talpada was arrested red-handed by the Bengaluru police while committing burglary. We later nabbed his associate Rakesh Parihar of Rajasthan. When our team reached Ode looking for his wife, Shobha, we were shocked to find the gold-covered bust of his father there.”
According to Sarvaiya, Talpad and his wife would travel by air from Bangalore to the targeted houses in various cities, where the associates would be ready to assist them. After the burgalary, Talpad and his wife would fly back home. His associates would later return to him in buses with the booty.
