A trusted Nepali couple employed as domestic help at a Bengaluru businessman’s residence allegedly vanished with cash, jewellery, and a licensed firearm worth ₹1.8 crore. The incident was discovered on May 28, a day after the family returned from a pilgrimage to Tirupati.
The robbery took place at the home of S Ramesh Babu, a 55-year-old businessman and political party member, located in Lal Bahadur Shastri Nagar near HAL. The couple—identified as Raj and Deepa—had been working for the family for only three months but had already gained their confidence.
The family had left for Tirupati around 5:30 am on May 27, leaving the duo in charge of the house. Although the home was equipped with CCTV cameras, Babu noticed the system had gone offline the next morning. Believing it to be a minor power issue, he didn’t act immediately.
The situation turned alarming around 11:30 am on May 28, when a family friend visiting the house found the main gate and front door open—and the staff nowhere to be seen. When Babu was alerted and joined a video call inspection, he noticed broken locks on the bedroom doors. He rushed back to Bengaluru and arrived by 4 pm, only to confirm the house had been ransacked.
Among the missing items were nearly 2 kg of gold ornaments, a diamond necklace, ₹10 lakh in cash, and a licensed pistol—some of which were family heirlooms, while others were acquired over the years.
Initial police findings point to a deeper conspiracy. The couple had been brought in through a chain of referrals starting with Prem, a former domestic worker who had served the family for 18 months. Before leaving, Prem introduced another man named Babu as his replacement, who in turn brought Raj and Deepa into the household.
Investigators now suspect this was part of a larger, premeditated plan involving multiple people. According to Shivakumar Gunare, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Whitefield Division), a case has been filed under Section 306 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for theft by a person entrusted with property. A special team has been formed to track the accused, and the investigation is ongoing.
