Gadwal: The police in Jogulamba Gadwal district quickly solved a big theft involving cigarette cartons worth about ₹15 lakhs. They arrested two suspects, while one is still missing. A Maruti Eeco van and two mobile phones used for the crime were also seized.
On July 12, 2025, B. Vinay Kumar, a businessman from Venkatapuram village in Aiza Mandal, reported a theft. He stated that he runs the “Jayalakshmi Agency” and, on the night of July 11, 2025, he locked up his shop at 9:00 PM. The next morning, he learned from an employee named Shiva that the shop’s locks were broken and many cigarette cartons were missing.
Upon inspection, Vinay Kumar found that around 20 cartons, valued at ₹18 lakhs, were stolen. The police registered the case under Crime No. 147/2025, Sections 331/4 and 305 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). A special team, led by Circle Inspector Tata Babu, was formed to investigate.
The suspects are Ratan Lal, a catering worker from Bithula village in Rajasthan, and Jaglish, a welding worker from Gundev village. Birbal Biplai, an agriculture worker from Jalore district, is still on the run. Ratan Lal and Birbal are old friends with criminal records, while Birbal and Jaglish are related as father-in-law and son-in-law.
The trio used a Maruti Suzuki Eeco van registered to Birbal to reach Aiza town, where they targeted Jayalakshmi Agency due to its cigarette stock and isolated location. They returned to Raichur to plan their heist.
On July 11, 2025, around 10:00 PM, they went back to Aiza. The next morning at 2:40 AM, they arrived at the agency. Birbal stayed in the van to watch for trouble. Ratan Lal turned the CCTV camera away, and he and Jaglish broke into a nearby house. They entered the kitchen, grabbed the cigarette cartons, and loaded them into their van.
They fled using back roads to Raichur. Birbal took some cartons to Belgaum to sell, while Ratan Lal and Jaglish drove around Raichur. Police tracked and caught them.
The police seized cigarette cartons worth ₹15 lakhs, the Maruti Suzuki Eeco van, and two mobile phones. Under orders from District SP T. Srinivasa Rao and supervision from DSP Y. Mogilayya, a special team led by CI Tata Babu and SI Srinivas Rao captured the suspects on July 21, 2025, at 5:30 PM in Raichur. Birbal remains at large, and the police are actively searching for him.
SP T. Srinivasa Rao praised the investigative team, including SI Srinivas Rao, SI Sukur, and other officers, for their swift and effective work. This operation underscores the dedication of the Jogulamba Gadwal police to maintaining law and order and ensuring justice.
