Vizag techie turns serial burglar, arrested for 60 house break-ins across Andhra Pradesh

• Police arrested Achhi Mahesh Reddy for over 60 burglaries in Visakhapatnam
• Recovered assets include gold, silver, a BMW car, and house-breaking tools
• Reddy, a former IT engineer, committed thefts to fund a lavish lifestyle

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Police in Visakhapatnam have apprehended a 27-year-old former software engineer believed to be a prolific burglar, connecting him to more than 60 house break-in cases across the city and surrounding districts.

The accused, identified as Achhi Mahesh Reddy, also known as Sunny, was arrested by Gajuwaka police on Friday. The arrest, following a months-long investigation, has specifically cracked 26 night-time burglaries within Visakhapatnam, leading to the recovery of stolen jewellery and a luxury vehicle purchased with the proceeds.

According to reports, City Police Commissioner Shankabrata Bagchi said investigators recovered significant assets, including approximately 700 grams of gold ornaments, 3.8 kilograms of silver ornaments, a BMW car, an unnumbered scooter and a set of house-breaking tools.

The total loot from the recent spate of crimes under investigation is reportedly valued at over Rs 25 lakh, comprising 1,085 grams of gold, over 6.3 kilograms of silver and Rs 40,500 in cash.

The probe was triggered by a complaint filed on October 14, 2025 by Kanna Shiva Ramakrishna, who reported gold and silver worth Rs 4.31 lakh stolen from his rented house between October 10 and 13.

Despite holding a postgraduate degree and previous employment with a prominent IT company in Hyderabad, police stated that Reddy chose a criminal path to finance an extravagant lifestyle. He is alleged to have occasionally returned to Visakhapatnam to commit thefts while living in Hyderabad.

His extensive criminal record began in his teens. Police revealed that Reddy was first accused of property offences under the PM Palem police station limits in Visakhapatnam when he was just 15 years old and was subsequently sent to a juvenile home.

After his release, he is alleged to have committed approximately 32 further burglaries across Kakinada town, Sarapavaram, Ramachandrapuram, Indrapalem and Rajahmundry. This earlier crime wave led to a 14-month sentence in Rajahmundry Central Jail, before he later entered the IT sector.

Commissioner Bagchi credited the arrest to a concrete clue developed after persistent investigation across the Gajuwaka, Arilova, Malkapuram, Pendurthi and Duvvada police limits.