<p>Shivamogga: Malur police have arrested 12 persons in connection with the recent dacoity reported at Uttaradi Mutt in Mahishi in Thirthahalli taluk.</p><p>According to police, 21 people were involved in the crime, and a trap has been laid to nab the remaining nine accused. Police have also seized two vehicles worth Rs five lakh and weapons used to commit the crime.</p><p>Addressing media persons here on Friday evening, Superintendent of Police G K Mithun Kumar said the dacoits broke into the mutt eyeing Rs 300 crore but decamped with only Rs 50,000 in cash.</p><p>Giving details of the crime, the district’s top cop said the dacoits illegally entered the mutt on April 5 at around 9:30 pm, threatened the priests and staff with sticks, maces and field with Rs 50,000 in cash, CCTV cameras, DVRs, laptops and mobile phones. All those involved in the crime are from Shikaripur, Anandpur and Hosanagar in Shivamogga district.</p><p>The arrested have been identified as Nerale Suresh, Satish, Prithviraj, Srikanth, Abhi, Rakesh, Chitte Bharat, Gidda Pawan, Ramesh, Naveen, Darshan and Karibasappa.</p><p>Mithun Kumar said a month ago, Nerale Suresh and Satish, who are from Ripponpet in Hosanagar taluk, had heard that there was Rs 300 crore black money in Mahishi Uttaradi Mutt. They then hatched a conspiracy to rob it. Later, they contacted Prithviraj, a carpenter from Anandpur, and formed a gang of four or five persons including Srinivas and Abhi from Shikaripur and visited Mahishi Uttaradi Mutt three or four times before the crime to gather information, the SP informed.</p><p>On April 5, as many as 18 robbers left for the mutt in a tempo at around 7:30 pm via Anandpur, Ayanur, Hangarekatte and Bejjavalli, and reached Mahishi at around 9:30 pm. Later, they threatened four staff members of the mutt with weapons and robbed them of cash, the SP said.</p><p>The police opened fire at the leg of Srinivas, the accused, who was absconding after committing the crime and took him into custody on Thursday. He was facing murder and POCSO cases too. Similarly, a POCSO case had also been registered against Prithviraj earlier, he said.</p><p>Additional Superintendent of Police A G Cariappa and Thirthahalli DySP Aravind Kalagujji were present at the press conference.</p>
<p>Shivamogga: Malur police have arrested 12 persons in connection with the recent dacoity reported at Uttaradi Mutt in Mahishi in Thirthahalli taluk.</p><p>According to police, 21 people were involved in the crime, and a trap has been laid to nab the remaining nine accused. Police have also seized two vehicles worth Rs five lakh and weapons used to commit the crime.</p><p>Addressing media persons here on Friday evening, Superintendent of Police G K Mithun Kumar said the dacoits broke into the mutt eyeing Rs 300 crore but decamped with only Rs 50,000 in cash.</p><p>Giving details of the crime, the district’s top cop said the dacoits illegally entered the mutt on April 5 at around 9:30 pm, threatened the priests and staff with sticks, maces and field with Rs 50,000 in cash, CCTV cameras, DVRs, laptops and mobile phones. All those involved in the crime are from Shikaripur, Anandpur and Hosanagar in Shivamogga district.</p><p>The arrested have been identified as Nerale Suresh, Satish, Prithviraj, Srikanth, Abhi, Rakesh, Chitte Bharat, Gidda Pawan, Ramesh, Naveen, Darshan and Karibasappa.</p><p>Mithun Kumar said a month ago, Nerale Suresh and Satish, who are from Ripponpet in Hosanagar taluk, had heard that there was Rs 300 crore black money in Mahishi Uttaradi Mutt. They then hatched a conspiracy to rob it. Later, they contacted Prithviraj, a carpenter from Anandpur, and formed a gang of four or five persons including Srinivas and Abhi from Shikaripur and visited Mahishi Uttaradi Mutt three or four times before the crime to gather information, the SP informed.</p><p>On April 5, as many as 18 robbers left for the mutt in a tempo at around 7:30 pm via Anandpur, Ayanur, Hangarekatte and Bejjavalli, and reached Mahishi at around 9:30 pm. Later, they threatened four staff members of the mutt with weapons and robbed them of cash, the SP said.</p><p>The police opened fire at the leg of Srinivas, the accused, who was absconding after committing the crime and took him into custody on Thursday. He was facing murder and POCSO cases too. Similarly, a POCSO case had also been registered against Prithviraj earlier, he said.</p><p>Additional Superintendent of Police A G Cariappa and Thirthahalli DySP Aravind Kalagujji were present at the press conference.</p>
