Bengaluru police arrests robber who gifted Rs 3 crore house, Rs 22 lakh aquarium to girlfriend

The accused is a repeat offender who has already served jail time in Gujarat and Maharashtra. (Representational image)

A robber in Bengaluru, arrested in connection with a recent burglary case, was found to have bought a Rs 3 crore house and a Rs 22 lakh aquarium for his girlfriend in Kolkata. Panchakshari Swamy, 37, was described by the police as a womaniser who despite being married with a kid also has connections with a popular film actress on whom he has also spent crores.

According to a report by news agency ANI, the Madivala Police in Bengaluru was investigating a burglary that occurred on January 9 when they came to know of Swamy's involvement. During investigation, the police found that Swamy, who hails from Solapur in Maharashtra, has been committing burglaries since 2003 when he was a minor. By 2009, he had become a professional criminal, amassing crores. In 2014-15, he came crossed paths with a famous actress and they reportedly got into a relationship.

Swamy has a black belt in karate, the police said, and after robbing houses, he would change his clothes on the road to avoid suspicion. He also owns a house in his mother's name but a bank had issued an auction notice due to unpaid loans.

The repeat offender has also served jail time. In 2016, he was arrested by the Gujarat Police and sentenced to six years in prison. After being released, he was arrested by the Maharashtra Police for similar crimes. Once released in 2024, he shifted to Bengaluru, where he resumed house burglaries and thefts.

After being arrested by the Madivala Police, Swamy confessed that he had spent crores on the actress and his girlfriend in Kolkata. The police have seized an iron rod and a fire gun -- which he used to melt stolen gold and convert it into gold biscuits -- along with 181 grams of gold biscuits, 333 grams of silver.