Bengaluru: A forest department official in Chikkamagaluru is alleged to have conspired with 10 others to rob a city businessman under the guise of a police inquiry.
Police have arrested the suspects, including Surendra, Suresh (alias Tattoo Surya), Shridhar, Vaasu (alias Kulla Vasantha), Boda Vasantha, Anil Kumar, Nawaz, Shabaaz, Usman, and Rahil.
The police have also recovered Rs 23.3 lakh in cash and valuables worth Rs 45.5 lakh from the arrested individuals.
On December 4, Surendra, posing as a police officer in his forest department uniform, visited the businessman's residence in HMT Layout at 7.30 pm, claiming to conduct a police inquiry.
Once inside, the other suspects, hiding behind Surendra, forcefully entered the premises armed with deadly weapons. The gang assaulted the occupants, looting cash and valuables, prompting a complaint filed at the Peenya police station.
An investigating officer revealed that the suspects had switched off their phones when approaching the businessman's residence. However, their arrest was facilitated by a call received after the phones were turned back on.
The meticulously planned crime started when the businessman’s former driver revealed that his employer possessed black money and would not report it to the police, if it was ever stolen.
While the driver did not directly participate in the crime, two of the suspects, present at the time, seized upon this information, organised the robbery, and enlisted some more people to execute the plan.
“It was a well-planned dacoity,” the previously quoted officer said. “The victims thought Surendra was an actual policeman when they let him. Had they noticed the green rope on his uniform, they could have foiled their plan.”
Published 22 December 2023, 21:35 IST