Film-buff-turned-thief arrested in Chittoor

Chittoor police on Sunday arrested a habitual thief with a passion for the silver screen and recovered stolen property worth ₹18 lakh, which included gold and silver ornaments and a car.

The accused identified as N. Anand (39) of Bengaluru was nabbed near Shruti Milk Dairy on the Bengaluru-Chennai Bypass Road when he was moving suspiciously.

The arrest was in connection with a theft reported on June 4 at Saravana Jewellers at Jendaman Street under Chittoor corporation limits, where burglars broke open the shop’s shutter and decamped with 131.5 grams of gold, 2.57 kg of silver articles, and some cash. A case was registered at Chittoor II Town police station under Sections 331(4), 305(a) of the BNS.

Anand confessed to the police that he resorted to theft after his bid to produce a Kannada film “Keechakudu” in 2020 failed and made him debt-ridden. Later, he produced a short film “Anand Returns” with the stolen money. The accused is also wanted in 23 cases across Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.

Superintendent of Police V.N. Manikantha Chandolu and Deputy SP T. Sainath announced cash rewards to the police personnel who took up the investigation and led the arrest in the case.

Published - June 15, 2025 07:28 pm IST