JOIN USNearly six months after a gang of dacoits robbed a Kerala-based merchant of his jeep along with a cash of Rs 6 lakh on the national highway near Bilikere in Hunsur taluk in the district, the district police have succeeded in cracking the case. Interestingly, the case leads to the kingpin in Dubai, who hired a gang of dacoits in Bengaluru to execute the task on February 9.
Disclosing this to media at his office auditorium on Saturday, Superintendent of Police Abhinav Khare said the three accused in the case — Umar, aged 31 years, Yasar Araffat, 30 and Saifuddin, 28, all from Malappuram, in Kerala — have been arrested. The kingpin is in Dubai, while three other accused are in Bengaluru, he added.
Reacting to media queries, he said, “As the investigation is still underway, I cannot disclose the name of the kingpin. It was this man in Dubai, who got wind of huge cash being transported from Bengaluru to Kerala on that day, and handed over the job to a local gang in Bengaluru”.
Umar was the driver of the same jeep that was waylaid and lifted later, who actually leaked the information (of money in the vehicle) to the man in Dubai,
the SP said.
On February 9, after midnight, Mohammed Shafiq a merchant, also from Malappuram, along with others, was returning to his native from Bengaluru, when the vehicle was waylaid in a filmy style. A goods tempo rammed into their vehicle from behind, while an Innova car came across, only to force stop the jeep.
Much before Shafiq could understand what was happening, the gang of dacoits, suspected to be 10 members, broke the window glasses, sprayed chilli powder on the occupants and attacked them, before pulling them out of the jeep. They, later, made away with the four-wheeler, along with the cash and cellphones. So, Shafiq had lodged a complaint at Bilikere station.
A team, led by Assistant SP (Nanjangud sub-division) A Prakash Nikam, comprising Hunsur Circle Police Inspector M Dharmendra, district crime investigation bureau (DCIB) Inspector Gopalkrishna among others, was constituted.
Among the three arrested, two were informants, while the actual perpetrators, who carried out the operation remain to be arrested. An amount ot Rs 3.25 lakh has been recovered from them.
The SP said Shafiq could be a gold merchant who was carrying the amount after disposing the valuables in his possession, at Bengaluru. However, he has produced relevant documents, while the chances of more cash being carried at the time of the incident cannot be ruled out, he said.