Deserted by family, 52-year-old commits crimes for ‘comfortable’ prison life

The arrested person was identified as Gnanaprakasam from Sadagopan Nagar in Perungalathur. The police said that Gnanaprakasam was arrested two months ago by the Tambaram police for stealing the CCTV cameras in the locality. Later, he was released on bail on June 29. A few ago, the police found a man trying to steal petrol from a bike that was parked in front of a house in Tambaram. Police caught him and identified him as Gnanaprakasam.

During the inquiry, the police found that Gnanaprakasam’s family failed to take care of him and did not provide him food regularly as he did not have a job. Frustrated by this, Gnanaprakasam started committing petty thefts. Then, he was arrested and sent to Puzhal prison. In the prison, he was served with food three times a day and also get coffee and tea every day.

Gnanaprakasam told the police that he loved to be in the prison and stole a two-wheeler belonging to one Vigneshwaran in Tambaram on June 30, to go back to prison. He was roaming around the city with the bike thinking that police would nab him. However, he went unnoticed by the police. A few days ago, the bike ran out of petrol and Gnanaprakasam tried to steal petrol from another two-wheeler when he was caught by the police. He was then sent to prison, said the police.