The Bandlaguda police have arrested one of Hyderabad’s most notorious burglars, Mohammed Saleem alias ‘Sunil Shetty’, in connection with two recent house break-ins in the city. Gold ornaments worth approximately ₹70,000, were recovered from him.
Saleem, aged 51, was apprehended on June 26 from Bandlaguda crossroad and police recovered a necklace and a pair of earrings linked to two break-ins in Bandlaguda, said ACP Chandrayangutta, A. Sudhakar.
Saleem, a resident of Falaknuma, has been involved in house burglaries since 1991 and has been arrested 25 times. He is a Category D Criminal (CDC) under Falaknuma PS and has over 100 cases across the tri-commissionerates of Hyderabad, Cyberabad, and Rachakonda.
“Operating mainly in the old city, Saleem targets middle and lower-middle-class households in areas like Chandrayangutta, Falaknuma, Kalapather, and Kanchanbagh. His burglaries typically occur after 4 a.m., when residents are asleep after being up late. He enters homes through ventilation openings on rooftops, often leaving doors and locks undisturbed, giving the illusion of a secure house. Once inside, he uses household items, even spoons, to break open cupboards and steal valuables,” explained the ACP.
An officer who is aware of Saleem’s activities for the last two decades said that he is a fan of Bollywood actor Suniel Shetty. “He adopted the name and is known by it in police and crime circles. His criminal life began at 16 when he started stealing from his family’s convenience shop to impress a girlfriend. After being caught, he left home, worked briefly in a hotel, and was first arrested at 18 for stealing brass utensils. During a jail stint at Musheerabad, he learned lock-breaking techniques from seasoned burglars, after which his criminal career took off,” said the officer.
Saleem has led a lavish lifestyle on stolen money, travelling to Mumbai, Ajmer, and other cities. On one such trip, he lost ₹12 lakh to a woman he had hired, who fled with the cash. He married a widow with three children in 1998 and is now father to seven children.
His last arrest was in March earlier this year by the Task Force police.