Stephan Kayyar
Daijiworld Media Network – Kasargod (EP/SP)
Kasargod, Apr 23: The Kasargod police have succeeded in arresting five members of an inter-state gang, which was involved with thefts in temples, jewellery shops, and others.
The arrested persons are Shiju (41) from Kutyady, Haneef (40) from east Bevinje, Ismail (41) from Kanhangad, Junaid (18) from Hosangady, and a 17-year-old juvenile delinquent from Pandeshwar, Mangalore.
Among them, the main accused, Shiju, is said to be in involved in thieving for the last 14 years. He had been released from prison just three months ago.
These arrests were made by a police team led by Adoor circle inspector, A Satish Kumar, under the guidance of Kasargod deputy superintendent of police, T P Ranjit.
The gang is said to be involved in more than fifty cases of theft in various places including Mangalore. Police have said that the gang has confessed of its involvement in twenty cases.
The thieves have reportedly confessed to have stolen valuables worth Rs 1.45 lac from Rumania Jewellers in Kozhikode, gold ornaments and other valuables worth Rs 1.80 lac from Memanda Temple, Vadagara, three cell phones and Rs 8,000 in cash from a house near Vadagara government hospital, one lac rupees from a bakery near Vadagara government hospital, and valuables worth one lac rupees from Kuthoor temple in Vadagara.
The police also came to know during the questioning that the same gang was involved with a theft of Rs 1.5 lac from a footwear shop from Vadagara, items worth Rs 50,000 from a jewellery shop in Kannur, and some cash from a nearby textiles shop. They had also stolen 20 sovereigns of gold ornaments from the house of Rajashree from Kannur Nadar, some valuables from a house in Kannur Mattannur, and nine watches from the house of Sarfuddin living near Mangalore railway station.
The other thefts involving them included Rs 5,000 from a shop in Cherkala, 6.5 sovereigns of gold ornaments from the house of Mastukundu Zainabba in Povval, two cell phones from the house of Ayeshath in Povval, and cash from two houses near Bevinje school.