BMW, gold and a secret life: 27-year-old techie’s ‘luxury lifestyle’ story ends in arrest
A 27-year-old techie was arrested on Sunday after leading dozens of burglaries across Andhra Pradesh. Police identified Achhi Mahesh Reddy after months of investigation and a chase that spanned multiple cities and complaints. Investigators were shocked to learn that the prolific criminal held a postgraduate degree and once worked with a reputed IT company in Hyderabad.
According to an NDTV report, Reddy had been working as a techie in Hyderabad when he opted for an alternative and somewhat more lavish lifestyle. Police said he owned a BMW and had travelled abroad multiple times after becoming a criminal.
Lavish lifestyle funded by crime
The police reportedly recovered about 699 grams of gold ornaments and 3.8 kilograms of silver ornaments during the arrest. They also secured a luxury BMW vehicle that was purchased with stolen money, an unnumbered scooter and burglary tools. According to the NDTV report, the recovered property was estimated to be worth more than Rs 15.6 lakh.
The report further quoted Visakhapatnam Commissioner of Police Shanka Brata Bagchi as saying that Reddy’s brush with crime began early. At just 15, he was caught breaking into houses, for which he was later sent to a juvenile home. But the detention did little to deter him.
After his release, he reportedly returned to burglary, expanding his operations across multiple towns. His activities eventually led to another arrest, following which he spent 14 months in Rajahmundry Central Jail. Police records now indicate that he has been linked to more than 60 house break-in cases across the state, the NDTV report stated.
His arrest also helped the Vishakhapatnam police crack 26 house break-in cases in different parts of the city. Thieves had reportedly stolen jewellery and cash valued at roughly Rs 24.66 lakh during these heists — including 1,084 grams of gold, more than 6,300 grams of silver and Rs 40,500 in cash.
Police arrests inter-state jewel thief
His arrest also came a day after the police arrested a major jewel thief — wanted for several massive heists across the country — in a separate investigation. Lokesh Srivas was allegedly involved in around 25 cases of burglary and theft in different states. He was arrested based on specific inputs about his presence in Delhi after committing a burglary in Chhattisgarh earlier this month.
The accused is also the main suspect in a 2023 burglary at a jewellery shop in Delhi — where gold jewellery weighing about 30 kg was stolen along with cash. It is considered to be one of the biggest heists ever reported from the national capital.
According to the police, Srivas broke into multiple shops in Raipur and decamped with cash and valuables during his final heist. He had reportedly moved across several states before taking shelter in Delhi. Officials said he was a habitual offender who allegedly targeted jewellery shops and commercial establishments during night hours. He is suspected in several major theft cases across Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
