Puttur: Priest couple arrested for attempting to rob retired college principal’s home

Mangalore Today News Network

Puttur, January 1, 2026: An attempted burglary took place around midnight on December 17 at the Puttur residence of A. V. Narayana, a retired principal of Vivekananda College, Puttur. In connection with the case, the police have arrested a priest (archak) and his wife for allegedly threatening the residents and attempting to rob valuables.

The accused have been identified as Karthik Rao (31), a resident of Muduru, Puttur, who is currently staying in a rented house in Panja, and his wife K. S. Swathi Rao (25). They were arrested by the Puttur Town Police.

According to the police, the accused broke into the house on December 17 and threatened A. V. Narayana and his wife, attempting to snatch their gold ornaments. During the scuffle, Narayana’s wife sustained injuries and screamed loudly in fear. Alarmed by this, the accused fled through the back door. No property was stolen.

Based on the complaint filed by Narayana stating that two unknown persons had attempted a theft, a case was registered at the Puttur Town Police Station.

During the investigation, the police arrested the accused couple and seized the motorcycle used in the crime. Karthik Rao works as an assistant priest and allegedly attempted the theft after learning that only an elderly couple lived in the house. The accused reportedly covered their faces with cloth and entered the house using a headlight, but fled midway when the elderly couple raised an alarm.