In a significant theft in Bengaluru, four employees of a builder’s office are accused of making away with Rs 91 lakh in cash on the night of 20 February 2026 from an office on BEL Road under the Sadashivanagar Police Station limits. The alleged mastermind, Dhananjay, a cashier-cum-accountant at the firm, reportedly learned about a large cash deposit at the office that day and informed his friends, leading to a plan to steal it.
Two of the accused Dhananjay and his friend Praveen have since been arrested, while the police continue their search for Tippesh and Sunil. Investigators have recovered Rs 81.66 lakh from a property in Shivamogga, with around Rs 10 lakh believed to have been spent by the suspects shortly after the theft. The case has drawn attention to internal financial controls and prompted a swift police response.
Betrayal From Within: Cashier, Friends Among Four Accused
Bengaluru police allege that the theft was not a random break-in but a well-planned inside job. According to law enforcement officials, on 20 February, a significant amount of cash was brought into the builder’s office on BEL Road, prompting the prime accused, Dhananjay who worked there as a cashier-cum-accountant to notify his accomplices about the development. Surveillance details and preliminary police sources indicate that later that night, Dhananjay, Praveen, Tippesh, and Sunil allegedly broke open the office lock and fled with the cash.
Within two days of the offence, Bengaluru police tracked down the group. Dhananjay and Praveen were apprehended and brought in for questioning, while Tippesh and Sunil remain absconding. Police teams have been deployed in Karnataka districts, including Davanagere and Shivamogga, to locate the remaining suspects, who are believed to be natives of those regions.
Cash Recovered; Probe Intensifies
Following the arrests, the Bengaluru police located and seized Rs 81.66 lakh in cash from a house in Malavagoppa in Shivamogga district that was linked to the accused. Officers say that nearly Rs 10 lakh had already been spent by the suspects, reportedly on partying and other personal expenses, before they were traced. The recovery of such a large sum has been described by senior officials as a significant breakthrough in what could have become a much more complex case had the money been dispersed further.
The case was formally registered at the Sadashivanagar Police Station, and investigators have invoked various sections of the law related to theft and criminal conspiracy. Police sources say that forensic teams are evaluating all collected evidence, including mobile phone records and financial transaction histories, to better understand how the group coordinated and executed the theft. In an official statement, the investigating officer stated that efforts are continuing to locate Tippesh and Sunil, and that charges will be broadened as more evidence comes to light.
Residents in and around the area have expressed concern at the ease with which large sums of cash were moved and stored in an office, highlighting broader questions about workplace cash handling practices and internal controls.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
This incident in Bengaluru is more than a simple case of workplace theft; it reflects deeper issues of trust, accountability, and ethical culture within organisations. When employees entrusted with financial responsibility allegedly exploit that trust, it not only harms the institution involved but also undermines broader community confidence.
Bengaluru, as a thriving economic hub, has seen a range of security and financial crime cases in recent months from attempted ATM break-ins and frauds to large-scale property thefts and robberies reported by local media outlets emphasising that robust systems and ethical practices are essential for safeguarding both public and private interests.
