Meerut, Oct. 31 -- Police in Meerut have arrested Rajesh Kumar, a former Army soldier with a Rs.25,000 reward on his head, for a series of thefts in the Meerut Cantonment area. The arrest was made by the Sadar Bazar Police and the Special Operations Group (SOG) in a joint operation. Rajesh Kumar, a resident of Dhaka village in Nowshera, Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, had served in the Indian Army for about ten years before deserting. He was wanted in several states for multiple thefts and burglaries. According to the police, Rajesh had stolen cash and jewellery worth several lakhs from the homes of senior Army officers. Among the stolen items recovered were Rs.5,740 in cash, two mobile phones, a car, a wristwatch, two gold chains, a mangalsutra, five rings, gold bangles, an Aadhaar card, and a bank passbook. SP City Ayush Vikram Singh said that two major thefts had been reported-one on October 11 at Tarapur Enclave and another on July 15 at Vikram Batra Enclave. Deputy superintendent of Police Naveena Shukla said Rajesh had joined the Army in 2013 and deserted in 2023. Since then, he has been involved in several crimes. Seventeen cases are registered against him in Meerut, Jammu and Kashmir, and Madhya Pradesh. Ambala Police had earlier announced a Rs.25,000 reward for his arrest. His capture has brought an end to a long series of thefts across several states....