TRIVANDRUM: Police in Kerala on Sunday took custody of Devender Singh aka Bunty Chor who escaped with a luxury car and other valuables after a housebreaking in Kerala last week.

On the run since he was caught on camera installed at the house of Dubai-based businessman K. Vengopalan Nair during the heist, he was picked up by the police in Pune, Maharashtra, on Saturday from a lodge and was handed over to the Kerala police.

The handcuffed “super thief” of Delhi who shot into fame after being member of the Bigg Boss season four claiming to be a reformed man told reporters in Pune that he was in Kerala as part of his plan to kill Dibankar Banerjee, who made a popular film based on him, Oye Lucky, Lucky Oye, in 2008.

The film was an instant hit with the “lovable thief” projected as modern day Robin Hood robbing both the rich and poor capturing the imagination of Indian filmgoers.

The film received the National Film Award for the best popular film in that year.

Police sources said he is now in Kerala police custody and is being flown down.

Police do not believe his claim that he’s after the filmmaker, whom he wants to pay him for the film’s storyline, as he used to pretend mentally unsound whenever in police custody.

He was arrested by Pune police on a tipoff received by the Kerala police from one of the employees of the hotel who hails from Kerala.

Wanted in connection with scores of cases across the country, the “high-tech thief” broke into the house on Jan.21 and drove off in a luxury car parked outside with two expensive mobile phones and a laptop.

The Mitsubishi Outlander was found abandoned in Krishnagiri in Tamil Nadu a few days ago.

Police had sent the image across the country and the manger of the Kerala hotel in which he stayed for three days planning and executing the burglary identified him.

He had given a copy of his driving license issued in New Delhi carrying his name and address. The same was furnished at the Pune hotel as well.