Bonsai thieves target retired IPS officer’s house in Hyderabad, yet again

Hyderabad: From exotic birds to costly breeds of dogs and now, rare Bonsai trees, the taste of thieves in Hyderabad appear to be undergoing a renaissance, with the house of a retired police officer in Jubilee Hills being targeted the second time in three years. This time, on Sunday, it was a 15-year-old Casuarina Bonsai […]

Hyderabad: From exotic birds to costly breeds of dogs and now, rare Bonsai trees, the taste of thieves in Hyderabad appear to be undergoing a renaissance, with the house of a retired police officer in Jubilee Hills being targeted the second time in three years.

This time, on Sunday, it was a 15-year-old Casuarina Bonsai that went missing from the house of former Director-General of Police V Appa Rao. Three years ago, another costly variety of bonsai, a Jade Bonsai, was stolen from the same house.

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According to the Jubilee Hills police, Rao’s wife Sridevi had lodged a complaint on Monday, stating that the costly tree, which was kept in their garden outside the house, was noticed missing by their gardener while he was watering the plants on Monday. He remembered the bonsai being in its place three days ago.

The police, who have registered a case and are investigating, said though the retired cop’s house had two CCTV cameras installed, both were defunct for quite some time now.

The ornamental plants have been a favourite among thieves for a long time in other countries, though such cases have been rare here. Bonsais, if properly nurtured, can live for several hundred years, with the price going up depending on the age.

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