The Hoskote police on Wednesday arrested a 27-year-old habitual offender, who posing as a mentally challenged, would board crowded buses and steal mobile phones from women passengers.
The accused identified as Syed hails from Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh and was living in Avalahalli with his wife. He is unemployed and took to stealing mobile phones and other valuables. He would sell the mobile phones to shopkeepers and people known to him. Syed was an alcoholic and would visit pubs and hotels, the police said.
Based on a series of theft cases, a team of police led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Shankaragowda Annasaheb Patil tracked down the accused and arrested him. The accused had even broken into some of the mobile phones and transferred cash worth around ₹2 lakh, the police said. The police are now tracing the owners of the mobile phones to return their valuables.
