The Central Crime Branch (CCB) of the City police have arrested an alleged thief and recovered “stolen autorickshaws and other goods” worth Rs 1.02 crore from him.

The CCB said it arrested Manik Chand alias Kamal Seth, 35, a resident of Peenya, after receiving a tip-off that he had stolen vehicles and other goods being transported by container lorries to various parts of the country.

The CCB claimed to have recovered 30 new autorickshaws belonging to TVS Factory in Hosur, 284 sacks of rice of Suryasri rice mill, 116 cigarette boxes of a tobacco factory in Gujarat and other goods.

Police sources claimed that Chand and his associates Babu, Shivan, Kumar and container driver Suresh and Kashi operated “as a gang”.

The gang would get prior information about the movement of cargo from reputed factories. Chand would then strike a “deal” with the driver and cleaner of the container lorry transporting the cargo to various parts of the country. He would then bring the container vehicle to the City, swindle a part of the cargo and unload it at his godowns.
The CCB police said they had launched a manhunt for Chand’s associates.

2 killed in bikes’ collision

Two men were flung into the air and killed as they crashed down on the ground after a speeding two-wheeler collided head-on with their motorcycle near Kommaghatta, Kengeri here on Monday night.

Srikanth, 31, and Anand, 21, both residents of Kengeri Satellite Town, were returning home from work when the accident occurred. Srikanth was riding the bike while Anand was on the pillion seat.

As they reached Kommaghatta, a speeding bike from the opposite direction ploughed into their motorcycle. The collision was so severe that they were flung into the air and crashed down on the ground. They then died of grievous head injuries.

Ramaswamy, who was riding the other bike, also suffered injuries and is being treated at a private hospital. Kengeri traffic police have registered a case.

4 held for murder

The City police say they have arrested four men on the charge of murdering a cable operator in Tyagarajanagar.

Puneeth Kumar, the victim, was having tea at a bakery in Tyagarajanagar when a gang of four men known to him picked a fight with him and stabbed him to death.
The suspects arrested are Abhilash alias Abhi, 20, Anjini alias Anji, 25, Karthik alias Appi, 23 and Kiran, 20, all residents of Tyagarajanagar. Police said Kumar had quarrelled with Abhilash’s elder brother Harish a few days ago and assaulted him.

Abhilash then decided to take revenge and murdered Kumar, police said.

Man robbed of Rs 13,800

A gang of three, who had promised to drop a man home, assaulted him as soon as he got into their car. Later, they forced him to withdraw Rs 13,800 from his bank account at an ATM kiosk at Suddagunta Palya here on Monday, police said.

Krishnamurthy, 32, who works with a travel agency, said the gang members had offered to drop him off at his house in Tin Factory.

He accepted the offer. As the car pulled off, the suspects wielded a knife and assaulted him.

They then snatched his mobile phone and the wallet. Later, they took him to an ATM centre and forced him to withdraw Rs 13,800 from his bank account. They then fled, Krishnamurthy said in his complaint to the police.

According to the victim, he had overslept while returning from Kolar district by a KSRTC bus and missed getting down at Tin Factory. He finally alighted at Suddagunta Palya and was waiting for a bus to go home when the gang approached him around 9.30  pm.

Baiyappanahalli police have registered a case.