A stolen mobile phone and technical analysis helped the Bengaluru police crack a major jewellery shop burglary case in Bagalagunte, despite investigators initially having no CCTV footage or direct leads.

The city police arrested three inter-State burglars and recovered 35.874 kg of stolen silver articles and ingots worth ₹98.39 lakh in connection with the burglary at a jewellery shop on Hesaraghatta Main Road in Bagalagunte.

The burglary came to light on April 28, when the shop owner, a resident of Gokul 1st Stage in Yeshwanthpur, found that the rear wall of his jewellery store had been breached and around 70 kg of silver articles had been stolen. The accused had also targeted a neighbouring ceramics shop, allegedly stealing a laptop, mobile phone, DVR and other valuables.

The police said the absence of CCTV coverage in the lane behind the jewellery shop initially hampered the investigation. Special teams then relied on local inquiries, intelligence gathering and technical analysis to trace the accused.

The breakthrough came after investigators tracked the mobile phone stolen from the ceramics shop. Technical analysis of the device provided crucial digital and location-based leads, helping police trace the suspects’ movements outside Karnataka.

Based on the technical evidence and intelligence inputs, police arrested Suresh, 29, and Dhanram, 30, from Raipur in Rajasthan. During interrogation, the duo allegedly confessed to the crime and revealed the involvement of a third associate.

Acting on their statements, police later arrested Nemichand Patel, 27, from Dasanapura near Nelamangala. He, too, allegedly admitted to participating in the burglary during questioning.

Investigators said the stolen silver was disposed of through an inter-State network. Portions of the stolen property were allegedly pledged at jewellery shops in Telangana, while some articles were stored at a local residence, and others pledged at shops in Secunderabad.

Based on the disclosures made by the accused, the police conducted coordinated searches between May 12 and May 25 and recovered the stolen silver articles and ingots from multiple locations.

All three accused have been remanded in judicial custody. The police are continuing the investigation to determine whether the gang was involved in other similar burglary cases.