The Miyapur police on Tuesday arrested a 21-year-old man involved in a string of thefts. The accused, identified as Rapanolla Mahesh, a resident of Yousufguda, was taken into custody on Monday and remanded to judicial custody.

The arrest follows a complaint by Md. Asif, a 40-year-old auto driver and resident of Aditya Nagar, after the accused allegedly broke into houses in the locality. Investigation revealed that Mahesh, who works as a painter, is a repeat offender with at least 10 theft and robbery cases across various police stations including Jubilee Hills, Chandanagar, Miyapur, Ramachandrapuram, Panjagutta and Madhura Nagar between 2016 and 2024.

After developing an addiction to alcohol, Mahesh began snatching mobile phones in 2019 to fund his drinking. Despite multiple incarcerations and time spent in juvenile homes and jails, he still continued his criminal activities and resumed thefts shortly after each release. Further investigation is underway.