Police launch hunt for lingerie thief

COIMBATORE: The Thudiyalur police are on the lookout for a man, obsessed with stealing women’s underwear and sandals from houses at Meenakshi Garden, under the cover of darkness.
The miscreant had first raided the busy residential area last March, treasurer of Meenakshi Garden Residents Welfare Association P Vijayakumar told TOI. “The incident was caught on CCTV camera.He stole women’s underwear, and sandals kept at porticos of several villas. He was wearing a nightie stolen from a house,” he said.
Following the incident, 12 residents used to conduct night patrol in the locality. But they could not find the thief. The Thudiyalur police also increased security in the area.
The spate of thefts stopped temporarily after the association members found more than 30 pairs of sandals on the terrace of a building. “But he visited the area again in June and was caught on cameras installed at four villas,” Vijayakumar said.
The thief entered the residential area again on January 17, 2020. “As he is stealing only women’s underwear and sandals, womenfolk are nervous. We have restarted night patrol. The association has decided to install more CCTV cameras for round-the-clock surveillance and plan to collect Rs 9 lakh from the residents for the purpose. Surveillance cameras will cover the entire campus within a month,” Vijayakumar added.
Meenakshi Garden, situated on an eight-acre plot, has 180 villas and more than 40 single-storey buildings, where 245 families stay.