CHENNAI: A 26-year-old bank employee was arrested by the Mambalam police for allegedly stealing a gold ring from a jewellery shop there.

He disclosed that he indulged in thefts to buy expensive gifts for his girlfriend.

Police identified the accused as Sathish Kumar, an MCA graduate employed at a private bank in the city.

On Tuesday, he went to a jewellery shop in T Nagar and stole a two-sovereign gold ring. When the employees found the ring to be missing, they lodged a police complaint. An analysis of the CCTV footage revealed that he had escaped with the ring.

On Wednesday, when Sathish tried to steal at a different branch of the same jewellery shop the employees caught him red handed and handed him over to the police.

Upon investigation, he told the police that his salary from the bank job was not matching his lifestyle and he wanted to give expensive gifts to his girlfriend.

The police said that Sathish has stolen jewels from shops in Chromepet, Pallavaram and T Nagar.