Techie steals vehicles to live like a king

BANGALORE: Computer science engineer Srinivas Babu had it all. A first-class degree, lived in an air-conditioned house, drove fancy vehicles, and had more than 100 pairs of shirts and trousers.
But there was a dark side to this techie -- he stole vehicles so that he could lead such a life. By his clothes, mannerisms and language, he managed to con many people.
This 26-year-old techie from Hyderabad scored 73% in his engineering course from Kakatiya University. He came to Bangalore in search of work and rented a house in Kudlu village. He joined a software firm in JP Nagar, but found the job boring and money inadequate to bankroll his lifestyle. He decided to steal vehicles to make a fast buck.
Initially, his modus operandi was simple -- zero in on a motorcyle in a parking lot and call a mechanic on the pretext that he'd lost his keys. After getting a duplicate key, he would ride away. In the process, he even befriended some mechanics.
"To cut costs, he made duplicate keys himself and soon had a bunch at his disposal. He had keys for every kind of vehicle,'' explained Siddapura police inspector B S Angadi.
Babu maintained a network of mechanics and kept stolen vehicles in various garages and service centres across the city. The next step was to create fake documents and find buyers.
Siddapura police, who were investigating a vehicle theft, finally got hold of Babu. Police solved 37 vehicle-lifting cases and recovered 50 two-wheelers worth Rs 25.8 lakh and a Maruti car worth Rs 4.2 lakh.
His vehicle-lifting record is appalling: 17 in Whitefield; 12 in Mahadevapura; 2 each in Koramangala and HSR Layout; one each in Siddpura, Mico Layout, JP Nagar, and Jayanagar.
"He told us he quit his job as a software developer and became a thief to earn quick money and lead a lavish life,'' said Angadi.