Bengaluru: A notorious burglar involved in around 70 theft cases was arrested by Kothanur police.

The police have identified the accused as Karthik Basavaraju alias Escape Karthik, 28. The police nabbed him in Kerala and recovered gold jewellery and other ornaments worth Rs 30 lakh from him.

After questioning him, police booked a case against the owner of Attica gold company and his staff for receiving stolen property.

According to the police, Karthik dropped out of high school at the age of 16 and took to crime.

He allegedly burgled a house at Hennur and stole Rs. 10 lakh. Based on this ‘success’, he continued pursuing a path of crime, and even formed a gang to commit crimes in various cities,said a senior police officer.

In 2007, he was arrested for theft and sent to the Central Prison at Parappana Agrahara. But, Karthik managed to escape by hiding in a truck that was supplying provisions to the prison.

The CCB nabbed him after 45 days and sent him back to prison. “But, he got bail. Since then, he has been securing bail whenever we arrest him,” said the police.

A wanted criminal in many burglary and robbery cases, Karthik is a resident of Kalyan Nagar in Bengaluru. The police said they have arrested Karthik in Kerala on credible information given by two of his associates, who the CCB police had arrested earlier.