India: Bengaluru thief built Rs30 million mansion for actress-girlfriend

Dubai: Bengaluru Police have arrested a notorious thief who built a lavish Rs3 crore (Rs30 million/Dh1.32 million) house for his girlfriend using money from his burglaries.

The accused, 37-year-old Panchakshari Swamy, has a long criminal history spanning over two decades, according to IANS.

Originally from Solapur, Maharashtra, Swamy was no ordinary burglar. Despite being married with a child, he was infamous for his womanizing ways.

His criminal career began as a minor in 2003, and by 2009, he had turned into a professional thief, accumulating wealth worth millions.

His high-profile connections came to light when police uncovered his past relationship with a well-known actress.

Investigators revealed that between 2014-15, Swamy had spent millions on the actress, including gifting her a Rs2.2 million aquarium. He also built a Rs3 crore house in Kolkata, allegedly for her.

Swamy’s crimes finally caught up with him in 2016 when Gujarat Police arrested him. He was sentenced to six years in Sabarmati Central Jail, Ahmedabad.

However, his time behind bars did little to reform him. Upon release, he returned to burglary and was arrested again by Maharashtra Police.

After serving his sentence, Swamy relocated to Bengaluru in 2024 and resumed his old ways.

On January 9, he carried out a major burglary in the Madivala area, but his luck ran out when police tracked him down and arrested him near Madivala market.

Swamy was no ordinary thief — he had an elaborate strategy to evade capture.

Police found that he carried an iron rod and a fire gun, which he used to melt stolen gold into biscuits for easy storage.

To avoid suspicion, he would even change his clothes on the road after committing crimes.

When police raided his residence in Solapur, they seized: 181 grams of gold biscuits, 333 grams of silver articles and the fire gun used to melt jewellery.

Swamy, a black belt in karate, also had a troubled financial past. His mother had received a compensatory job in the railway department after his father’s death, but their family home faced an auction notice due to unpaid loans.

The case was cracked by a team led by DCP (Northeast) Sarah Fathima, ACP Laxminarayana K.C., and Inspector Mohammad M.A. of the Madivala police station.

With Swamy’s arrest, Bengaluru Police have put an end to the crime spree of a thief who lived large — only to fall hard.