Hyderabad: The Vikarabad police on Thursday, June 4, arrested an interstate thief, Vikas Singh, alias Teja Singh, who reportedly used the proceeds from 27 recent robberies to fund an NGO named “Helping Hands.”

District Superintendent of Police (SP) Sneha Mehra, while addressing the media, revealed that Singh, a habitual offender with 34 prior jail terms since the age of 16, was arrested at a local railway station following the theft of gold and cash from a house in Manikanta Nagar last month.

During the recent burglary on May 5, under the Vikarabad police station limits, Singh had escaped with one and a half tolas of gold and Rs 2,10,000 in cash. After a thorough investigation, a special police team, along with the local police, tracked down Singh and took him into custody.

During interrogation, the police discovered shocking details regarding the scale of Singh’s robberies. He began robbing at the age of 16 and has been booked 34 times across the Sangareddy and Bollaram areas. After his release from prison, before the May 5 arrest, he immediately resumed illegal activities, executing 27 more robberies across Vikarabad, Cyberabad, and Malkajgiri districts, SP Mehra said.

According to Mehra, the investigation took an unusual turn when Singh disclosed that the motive behind the latest crime was to establish a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO).

Much like the Robin Hood-style Telugu movie “Gentleman,” Singh used the stolen money to establish and operate the NGO, Helping Hands, instead of spending it to live a lavish life.

However, a deeper investigation revealed an intricate network of criminals involving several gold jewellers from Uttar Pradesh, identified as Shyam Moses, Suraj Mohan, Ashok Soni, and Vikas Agrahari. These jewellers allegedly incited Singh to commit robberies, purchased the stolen goods, and even provided him with a gun.

The police have seized the stolen gold and the gun. SP Mehra said strict legal action will be taken against the jewellers who abetted and encouraged the thefts, adding that the investigation into the network is ongoing.