Nagpur, India: Dhantoli police have arrested a 32-year-old MTech graduate from Chandrapur, Ashish Reddimalla, for a string of house break-ins across Nagpur. With his arrest, five housebreaking cases have been solved in areas including Dhantoli, Ajni, and Sonegaon.

Reddimalla, once employed at an IT company in Mihan, reportedly turned to theft after accumulating over ₹23 lakh in gambling debts. Using his technical background and a calculated approach, he travelled by bus from Chandrapur to Nagpur, targeted locked homes post-midnight, and broke open doors using a metal rod. After committing the crimes, he would quickly return to Chandrapur before morning.

The breakthrough came after police scanned over 200 CCTV footages and acted on a tip-off. He was arrested in Chandrapur, and stolen items worth ₹2.33 lakh were recovered, including jewellery and foreign currency.

This marks Reddimalla’s third known arrest for theft-related offences. Police are currently investigating if he had accomplices or if more unsolved cases are linked to him.

Senior Inspector Anamika Mirzapure noted that Reddimalla’s professional appearance and behaviour allowed him to go unnoticed, stressing the importance of community vigilance. Further investigation is ongoing.