Notorious Inter-State Burglar Apprehended by Kaup Police
Udupi: In a significant breakthrough, the Kaup Police have successfully apprehended Umesh Balegar, a notorious inter-state and inter-district burglar, in connection with a recent house burglary case reported in Mallaru village. The arrest follows a meticulous investigation into the incident that occurred on December 4, 2025.
Umesh Balegar, also known as Umesh P and Umesh Reddy, is a 47-year-old native of Tamil Nadu currently residing in Fakirnakatte, Mallaru. He is accused of burgling the residence of Raghavendra Kini in Mallaru village. According to police reports, the perpetrator gained entry to the house, named Ramanatha Krupa, by exploiting the practice of keeping the house key in the electricity meter box. The suspect allegedly used the key to unlock the house, lock it from the inside, and subsequently abscond with approximately 72 grams of gold ornaments, valued at Rs 3.90 lakh, and silver articles worth around Rs 1,500. The stolen items were reportedly kept in the bedroom cupboard. A formal case was registered at the Kapu Police Station following the incident.
The investigation was conducted under the guidance of Udupi District Superintendent of Police Hariram Shankar, with the supervision of Additional Superintendent of Police Sudhakar S. Nayak, former Karkala Assistant Superintendent of Police Dr. Harsha Priyamvada, and in-charge Karkala Sub-Division Deputy Superintendent of Police Prabhu D.T. A dedicated team led by Kaup Circle Inspector Azmath Ali G successfully traced and apprehended the accused on January 2, 2026. Authorities have stated that further investigation is currently underway.
Police investigations have revealed an extensive criminal history associated with Umesh Balegar. He has 16 cases registered against him in various police stations across the states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh, and approximately 17 cases in different police stations across Karnataka. He has already been convicted in eight of these cases. Furthermore, non-bailable arrest warrants have been issued against him by courts in connection with cases registered at multiple police stations, including Thannipalam, Mavoor, and Thrissur in Kerala; Subramanya, Belthangady, Puttur City, and Moodbidri in Dakshina Kannada district; Sirsi Rural in Uttara Kannada district; and Basavanahalli in Chikkamagaluru district. An LPC warrant is pending against him in a case registered at Thirthahalli Police Station in Shivamogga district. Courts have also issued proclamations in two cases registered at Sringeri Police Station in Chikkamagaluru district.
The successful operation involved the coordinated efforts of Padubidri Sub-Inspector Anil Kumar T. Nayak, Shubhakara (PSI, Kaup), Rajesh (ASI, Padubidri), Mohanachandra, Raghu, Jeevan, jeep driver Jagadish, and CDR wing personnel Dinesh and Nithin, along with other staff members. The Kaup Police Department has expressed its commitment to diligently pursuing the investigation and ensuring that justice is served.