Security guard chooses sister’s night dress to loot Secunderabad mobile phone store, arrested

The store’s manager said that the burglar broke the shutters and adjoining wall to enter the store on the night of May 28 and stole 37 Realme mobile phones and tablets of different models, worth about Rs 8.28 lakh.

The officials, after verifying CCTV footage and other pieces of technical evidence, initially thought a woman was behind the burglary. According to them, Yakaiah meticulously planned and executed the burglary and conducted a thorough recce of the store on the first floor with a specific focus between May 24 and 28.

Choosing to wear his sister’s night dress, Yakaiah also covered his face and moved to the rear of the shop to break the wall and shutters.

“The CCTV footage revealed that the suspect strategically turned off the lights of a particular store in a precise manner that suggested his familiarity with the premises,” B Ramesh, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mahankali division, said.

After taking the statements of the store staff and maintenance personnel at the shopping complex, the police noted Yakaiah as one of the suspects. He had been working as a security guard at the building and was well-versed in relevant details.

“He knew that the CCTV cameras inside the store were not functional. He had applied for leave to go to his native village for a few days and chose a disguise to break into the store. The stolen phones and tablets were recovered from his home in Mahabubabad,” said an officer.

The police registered a case under sections 457 and 380 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at the Mahankali police station.