He Came Looking For A House On Rent, Left With Gold Worth Rs 55 Lakh

Last Updated:February 18, 2026, 12:50 IST

The house belonged to Jagadish, a software engineer, who had locked the house and left the key in the shoe rack so his children could enter after school, a routine practice.

“I was house-hunting in the area. I saw a ‘To-Let’ board before a building and waked into enquire." What followed this thought inside Kiran’s head turned into a suspense and shocking story of theft.

Temptation arrived quietly, tucked inside a shoe rack outside an apartment door in Bengaluru’s Nagondanahalli. What appeared to be an ordinary afternoon errand for a struggling photographer soon spiralled into a theft case worth Rs 55 lakh, exposing how everyday convenience can open the door to serious crime.

Chance discovery leads to theft

On February 11, 2026, Kiran, a resident of Varthur Kodi and a freelance event photographer, entered an apartment building after noticing a “To Let" board. Once a photo studio owner, he had suffered financial losses and was searching for a place to rent.

While moving through the premises, he spotted a house key placed inside a shoe rack outside one of the doors. Acting on impulse, he used the key to enter the locked home.

Inside, he opened cupboards and stole 348 grams of gold jewellery before leaving the premises unnoticed.

Homeowner discovers break-in

The house belonged to Jagadish, a software engineer, who had locked the house and left the key in the shoe rack so his children could enter after school, a routine practice.

When he returned later that evening, he found the front door ajar. A check of the cupboards revealed the gold ornaments were missing.

Whitefield police registered a case and reviewed CCTV footage from the area. Cameras showed a man loitering near the building around the time of the theft.

Based on the footage, police tracked the suspect and arrested Kiran near Varthur Kodi on February 13.

Confession and religious pilgrimage

During interrogation, Kiran confessed to the crime. He told police he had entered the building in search of rental accommodation and succumbed to temptation after seeing the key.

Investigators said that after committing the theft, he experienced remorse and travelled to Male Mahadeshwara Hills, where he tonsured his head and made a religious vow. He was arrested upon returning from the pilgrimage.

Police recovered the entire 348 grams of stolen gold jewellery, valued at approximately Rs 55 lakh, from his residence.

Following the arrest, Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seetaram Kumar Singh cautioned residents against leaving house keys in predictable hiding places such as shoe racks, flowerpots or common corridors. Such practices, police said, make homes vulnerable to opportunistic theft.

Kiran was produced before a jurisdictional court on February 14 and remanded to judicial custody. The incident stands as a reminder that small habits meant for convenience can carry costly consequences.