HYDERABAD: A wannabe pilot, eager to send a message on growing social inequality in India and widespread corruption, carried out one of the biggest jewellery heists in recent times and cheerfully surrendered before flummoxed cops who were groping for clues across the country.

Nearly 48 hours after the sensational robbery at the Tanishq showroom , 23-year-old G Kiran Kumar said he stole jewellery worth Rs 6 crore from a store in the heart of Hyderabad to pay for his pilot training course and also get a corrective surgery done on his polio-stricken cousin, before the ‘aam aadmi’ in him had a change of heart.

“I am fed up with the way the system is functioning these days. Politicians are thieves who loot us for five years and I became a thief just for a night to show the world the growing inequality in the country,” Kumar, an intermediate passout said.

“If given a chance, I can serve the society better than any politician,” said Kumar, who has four brothers and a widowed mother at home to feed from the paltry money he earns as a mason. “If you are poor, no one cares about you. No one gave a damn about what I wanted to do in life,” said Kumar, underscoring how in India the rich-poor divide has widened to an all-time high in urban areas, according to National Sample Survey findings.

Kumar, the prime accused, walked into a local television channel’s office late on Sunday and told the receptionist that he was the one who had carried out the heist.

“My cousin Anand needs money to undergo a surgery. We tried to get help, but no one cared,” he told the police later.

Ten special teams of the Hyderabad police were searching for professional offenders across the country and were at a loss for words when confronted about how the two rookies pulled off a heist in a high-security area close to the chief minister’s camp office.

Kumar took the police to his house in suburban Hyderabad and showed them the booty, neatly packed in a travelling bag.

“On questioning, Kumar initially claimed that he alone committed the burglary to expose loopholes in the security apparatus and society in general. But when confronted with CCTV evidence, he confessed to the involvement of his cousin, Anand,” Hyderabad police commissioner Anurag Sharma said.

During interrogation, a smiling Kumar, who hails from Guntur district, said he too, like thousands of other youth had landed in Hyderabad to pursue his dreams.

“We were desperate for money to fulfill our dreams. I tried masonry, plumbing and electric wiring work, but only got poorer with every passing day,” Kumar, who broke into the store on Friday night through a ‘soft spot’ in the rear wall, said. According to their plan, the duo carried out a recce of Tanishq a few times and on January 22 night they began chiselling the rear wall. They finished removing most of the brick that night itself and returned home. The next day, Kumar again went to the Tanishq store and discovered that no one had noticed the drilling and returned there with Anand on January 24 night for the burglary.

After entering the shop, Anand broke shelf locks and stole 15.5 kg of gold ornaments and valuable gems worth Rs 5.98 crore. After putting the loot in a bag, they quietly walked all the way back to Rasoolpura, as they had no money to pay for an auto or cab.

To fox sniffer dogs from detecting their scent, they sprinkled chilli powder at the scene of offence, he said.

Based on his confession, police recovered 528 gold bangles, 40 bracelets, 33 necklaces, 89 pendants, 58 ear studs, 98 rings, colour stones and emeralds, all worth Rs 5.75 crore.

The police are now on the lookout for Anand, who left the city with three gold bangles. On Sunday, police had said that the security guards were from ISS agency, but later clarified that they actually belong to SIS security agency.

Based on Kumar’s confession, police recovered 528 gold bangles, 40 bracelets, 33 necklaces, 89 pendants, 58 ear studs, 98 rings, colour stones and emeralds, all worth 5.75 crore

