Armed gang, which aspired for PM's attention, arrested

Nine members nabbed but ‘ringleader’ at large; believed to be involved in 30 robberies. Nine members of an armed gang of robbers, who targeted resorts and clubs on the outskirts of the City, have been arrested, giving much relief to the police. The gang is also suspected to have looted the Nagarabhavi house of Kannada actor Harsha.

Six members of the gang — Krishna alias KK, 27, Shashikumar, 34, and Appaji, 30, all from Sunkadakatte; Range Gowda, 28, from Ramanagar; Ravi, 27, a native of Tumkur; Ravish, 29, a native of Ramanagar — were arrested on April 16 while they were allegedly plotting to loot a recreation centre in Hosakerehalli, Commissioner of Police Raghavendra Auradkar told reporters on Thursday. The arrests were carried on a tip-off.

Other members of the gang, including the suspected “ringleader” Kunigal Giri, Govind, Bharat, Jagadish, Srinivas alias Vasu, gave police the slip by attacking a constable and threatening him with a gun.

Three other members, Shivu alias Dhande Shivi, 19, Mahesh, 21, both from Sunkadakatte, and Rajanna alias Siddalingaiah, 35, of Ramanagar, were arrested on April 23. Police seized a country-made pistol, a Tata Indica car, machetes and gold ornaments worth Rs five lakh from them. “Giri and his accomplices were plotting a bigger heist which would make them famous all over India,” Raghavendra said. “They even wanted the prime minister to know about them.”

The gang is suspected to be involved in more than 30 cases of extortion and robbery, including the one at a resort in Jigani. It also allegedly looted the house of Kannada actor Harsha in Nagarabhavi.

Recently, the gang attacked Satellite Club, a recreation centre in Kumbalgodu. It threatened and robbed 30 people, including members and staff of the club, and made off with Rs 7.6 lakh in cash and jewellery. The suspects also damaged the club property.

Police also believe the gang carried out the Begur dacoity, in which robbers had barged into the office of a real estate broker, and attacked and robbed him and six others. The robbers had also fired in the air from a country-made pistol to scare away chasers.

Giri, the “confession” of the arrested suspects revealed, was their “ringleader” who would pick the target. He was arrested for extortion and dacoity some months ago and released on bail later.

While lodged in Bellary prison, Giri and his accomplices had attacked the superintendent, after which Giri was shifted to Central Prison, Parappana Agrahara. Giri is wanted in at least 40 cases.

Police suspect he also hired contract killers to eliminate a man named Senna alias Daba Seena. They have found a 27-page diary, in which Giri described his lifestyle and how he robbed people.

‘Suave’ burglars held

The Jayanagar police have arrested four people suspected to be involved in 21 house burglaries.  The suspects are Manjunath alias Kommaghatta Manju, 32, Shivaraj, 24, both from Harohalli, Anthony Raj, 25, from Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu, and Seejan Philiraj, 29, a resident of Udayapura.

The suspects would break into houses in posh localities. They would do a “recce” of the houses they planned to target, but make sure the inhabitants had gone out. Posing as friends or relatives, they would enquire with the neighbours about the inhabitants. Later, they would mark the houses by placing a stick or a plant on their door. They would come back the next day and if the stick or plant lay there, they would sneak in, police said. They would wear branded clothes and behave in a sophisticated manner.