Koppal (Karnataka), March 30 The Karnataka Police have launched a hunt for a man involved in a series of unusual thefts targeting women’s innerwear in Gangavathi town of Koppal district over the past few days.
The development has caused concern among residents in the region.
The incident was reported in the jurisdiction of the Gangavathi Town Police Station. The CCTV in the area captured visuals of the suspect carrying out the acts, which went viral on social media.
According to a preliminary investigation by police, an unidentified man has been entering residential premises at night by scaling compound walls and stealing women’s inner garments. The incidents have been reported from the CBS locality, a prominent residential area in the town.
Residents have complained to police that the thefts have been occurring over the last three to four days, with the accused specifically targeting women’s innerwear. The repeated occurrences have triggered anxiety among women in the neighbourhood, with several residents expressing concern over safety and privacy and calling the thief a 'psycho'.
Further investigation is underway.
It can be recalled that the Hebbagodi police in Bengaluru had arrested a 23-year-old man for allegedly wearing women’s innerwear and roaming in public places, causing public nuisance and outrage. The police stated that the accused was allegedly seen wearing women's undergarments, posing obscenely, and moving around public areas, creating discomfort and fear among women. The accused, a 23-year-old man, was also found taking selfies while wearing them.
In another bizarre incident that left residents shocked and women disturbed, Karnataka Police arrested a man on charges of stealing women's old undergarments within the Bendigeri police station limits in Hubballi city on September 30, 2025. According to the police, the accused confessed to stealing women’s lingerie that was hung out to dry outside homes on clotheslines or within residential compounds, during the night. Investigations revealed that the man would return the stolen undergarments by throwing them back into the compounds after about a week.
It can also be recalled that a serial rapist and murderer, Umesh Reddy, was arrested in 2002 and continues to be in jail. When he was arrested, the police found him wearing a bra and panties. The baggage seized from Umesh Reddy after his arrest contained women's garments, which included 10 bras, 18 pairs of panties, six sarees, two nighties, eight churidars, and four blouses.
Reddy, who had several aliases, was a former CRPF constable and hails from Chitradurga district in Karnataka. He was convicted back-to-back for raping and murdering women who were staying alone in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Hubballi and Davanagere in Karnataka, Mumbai and Pune in Maharashtra, and also in Gujarat. The Supreme Court had confirmed Reddy’s death sentence for the rape and murder of Jayashri Maradi Subbayya in 1998.
--IANS
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