Bengaluru: In a twist that sounds straight out of a crime drama, police were left baffled when a 35-year-old serial housebreaker claimed he turned to crime not for personal gain, but to support the education of school and college-going students hailing from poor families.The accused is Shivu alias Shivarappan, a resident of Begur. He was arrested by Byadarahalli police along with accomplices Anil and Vivek recently. The trio was involved in a string of house break-ins in the city’s west division, with at least 11 cases registered against Shivu alone. When police finally caught up with Shivu, he said: “I used the money to pay the fees of 20 poor students studying in schools and colleges,” Shivu claimed. His ‘Robin Hood-style’ justification was met with disbelief, but not outright dismissal.“We’ve heard all kinds of stories from arrested thieves, but this one was unusual. He said he was moved by the plight of families in his locality and decided to use the stolen money to pay fees. Shivu claims to have spent around Rs 14 lakh on students’ education; we are verifying his claims,” said an investigating officer said.Police managed to recover around 260 grams of gold stolen by the trio, a portion of which was traced to sales made in Tamil Nadu. However, another Rs 14 lakh, allegedly used by Shivu to fund education and buy vehicles, remains untraced. According to his statement, Shivu earned around Rs 22 lakh by selling the stolen gold. Apart from funding students, he claimed to have bought two autorickshaws — each costing Rs 4 lakh — for his two aides.In another twist, Shivu told police he had once considered suicide due to the shame and burden of his criminal lifestyle. “But when I saw many students were struggling to pay fees, I found a new purpose. I decided to help them, even if it meant breaking the law,” he allegedly said.Police, however, are proceeding with caution. “We’re not sure if he’s telling the truth or trying to earn sympathy,” said a senior officer. “Often, thieves come up with emotional narratives once they’re caught. We will dig deeper to ascertain the facts. Regardless of his motive, a crime has been committed.”