Techie-turned-thief arrested in Vizianagaram for string of robberies

VIZIANAGARAM: Balaga Haribabu, a former software engineer, was apprehended by Rajam Police in Vizianagaram on theft charges and was subsequently sent to prison.
Haribabu, a resident of Karajada village in Srikakulam mandal, had lost his job due to gambling addiction, which led to mounting debts.
After that, he first committed theft at his maternal aunt's residence and later became involved in numerous other theft cases.
Haribabu had previously worked as a software engineer in Gurgaon and later in Hyderabad and Warangal. He became ensnared in gambling and accumulated debts from multiple individuals prior to losing his job. His addiction and extravagant lifestyle eventually drove him to a life of crime. He was previously arrested by the Etcherla police and incarcerated.
After securing his release on bail in August, following 85 days in detention, Haribabu resided in Vizag for a brief period and borrowed around Rs 6 lakh from acquaintances. Subsequently, he targeted Rajam town for a series of robberies, selecting areas devoid of CCTV surveillance. On September 18, he looted gold ornaments and Rs 50,000 cash from a teacher's house in Vasavinagar.
While trying to escape from the scene, Haribabu accidentally fell into a drainage. To evade detection, he re-entered the teacher's home and exchanged his wet trousers for the teacher's tracksuit. Haribabu then pawned the stolen gold ornaments at a private finance institution and enjoyed the proceeds before discreetly deactivating his phone.
However, law enforcement officers managed to trace him through the trousers he left behind at the teacher's residence. Haribabu was subsequently apprehended in Ranastalam, Srikakulam district, and the authorities confiscated a motorcycle and recovered several stolen gold ornaments from his possession.