Family business sends man, wife to prison in Bangalore

The additional chief metropolitan magistrate court on Friday sentenced a pickpocket couple to four-and-a-half years imprisonment, besides slapping a penalty of Rs8,500 each on them.

Venkatesh alias Venkateshraju, 28, and Mamatha, 27, both residents of KEB Road, Begur Main Road in Bommanahalli, operated in the Kempegowda Bus Stand, and the neighbouring areas.

The imprisonment awarded was on three different cases registered by the Upparpet police. They are facing trial in nine other cases.

The duo had stolen around Rs2 lakhs from a Sagar, Shimoga-bound passenger on the night of May 14, 2010. Victim Shafuruddin, 47, was in engaged in quarrel with another passenger over a seat, when the couple cut open the bag containing the cash and fled.

Earlier on May 7, 2010, the duo had stolen Rs50,000 from Mallikarjuna Gupta, 40, a businessman, going tp Kanimelahalli in Tumkur’s Pavagada taluk. On December 11, 2009, the man and wife had stolen Rs9,000 from the vanity bag of JayaMary, 49, a resident of H Ranganath Colony.

According to the prosecution, the convicts used to flee to Mysore, Arsikere or Ramanagara after committing an offence. They were also accused of offering spiked fruit juice to their victims.