A 46-year-old professor at a private college in Bengaluru has been arrested for allegedly stealing gold ornaments, cash, and other valuables from wedding venues by posing as a relative of the bride or groom, police said on Wednesday.

Bengaluru police said the accused, identified as Revathi, was arrested on Tuesday. A resident of K R Puram, she worked as a Kannada professor at a private college in the city. Police said they recovered gold ornaments worth Rs.32 lakh from her possession.

According to a police officer, financial difficulties led her to commit the thefts. Her husband is suffering from cardiac ailments, and her son’s rising education expenses allegedly pushed her to steal gold ornaments from wedding halls.

 The case came to light after a complaint was filed at the Basavanagudi Police Station on November 25. The complainant reported that a 32-gram gold chain and an artificial collar chain went missing from her bag while she was attending a relative’s wedding at a hall in Basavanagudi on November 23, which she attended along with her mother.

 Based on the complaint, police registered a theft case and examined CCTV footage and other evidence, which led them to Revathi. She was arrested at her residence on December 1 and remained in 12 days of police custody.

 Seemant Kumar Singh, Commissioner, Bengaluru city police, said, “Upon interrogation, the woman confessed to having committed the theft of gold jewellery in this case. She also revealed that she had committed thefts of gold jewellery in two other marriage halls within the limits of the Basavanagudi police station.”

Inputs from Indian Express

Also Read: Karnataka: Protest Against State’s Government Schools Merger Proposal