Sirsi, June 25: The Sirsi Town Police have successfully arrested an inter-district woman thief who was targeting bus commuters to carry out serial thefts at the Sirsi Central Bus Station.

Following her interrogation, the police have managed to crack two separate cases of theft and recovered 70 grams of gold jewelry valued at approximately ₹9 lakh.

The arrested accused has been identified as Jyothi, alias Sanjana (32), a resident residing behind the Government Hospital, 5th Block, Rajajinagar, Bengaluru.

According to the police, the investigation began following a theft complaint filed by Savitha Anand Naik, a resident of Kalagoda village in Soraba taluk. On June 3, 2026, Savitha had arrived at the Sirsi Central Bus Station to travel from Adikesara village in Yellapur to her native town of Chandragutti.

While she was helping her elder sister Nagarathna board a bus heading towards Banavasi, the accused, Jyothi, took advantage of the heavy rush inside the bus stand and stealthily opened the zip of Savitha’s vanity bag.

The accused stole a steel box from the bag which contained a 20-gram gold chain valued at ₹1 lakh, 10 grams of gold earrings, chains, and matis valued at ₹50,000. She also made away with an Airtel keypad mobile phone worth ₹1,000 and ₹8,000 in hard cash, totaling property worth ₹1.59 lakh.

Following the incident, a formal complaint was registered at the Sirsi Town Police Station, and a comprehensive investigation was launched to identify the culprit.

Taking the bus station thefts seriously, Uttara Kannada District Superintendent of Police (SP) Deepan M.N. (IPS) directed the formation of a special investigative team to probe the matter from various angles.

During the investigation, the police analyzed extensive CCTV footage from the bus stand, cross-referenced technical data, and tracked suspect movements. This technical surveillance led to the successful arrest of Jyothi in Bengaluru on June 25, 2026.

During intense police interrogation, the accused confessed to her involvement in another major theft that took place at the exact same Sirsi Central Bus Station on September 24, 2025.

Based on her confession, the police conducted raids and successfully recovered 70 grams of gold jewelry worth ₹9 lakh connecting both separate theft cases registered at the Sirsi Town Police Station.

The successful breakthrough operation was conducted under the direct supervision of Additional Superintendent of Police Krishnamurthy G., Sirsi Sub-Division DySP Geetha Patil, and Sirsi Circle Inspector Sampath E.C.

The ground execution team was led by PSI (Law and Order) Narasimhalu T. and Investigative PSI Narayana Rathod, along with crime division staff including Kotesha Nagaravalli, Ramaiah Poojari, Hanumanta Makapura, Saddam Hussain, Channabasappa K., Raju M., Sunil, Prashanta, Shankaramma, and Deepa.

Crucial technical assistance was provided by Uday Gunaga and Baban Kadam from the Karwar Technical Cell. District Superintendent of Police Deepan M.N. highly praised the swift action, dedication, and coordinated teamwork of the officers in cracking the case and recovering the stolen valuables.

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