Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Jul 3: The police have arrested three out of the 16 accused in connection with the highway robbery where a gold merchant was intercepted and looted. The incident occurred around 2:45 am on June 29 on the national highway at Baikampady.
The arrested have been identified as Nimil R K (37) from Pathiriyad in Kannur district, Kerala, Irshad (40) from Madikeri, and Musthafa (49), also from Madikeri.
On the early morning of June 29, Vikas Subbarao Dhanawade (44) was travelling from Maharashtra to Payyannur in Kerala with his family in a Swift Dzire car via NH-66. When they reached near Baikampady, a gang of 6-7 masked men who arrived in two Innova and one Swift cars intercepted them. The miscreants threatened Vikas with swords, assaulted him, and forcefully took away the car with his wife and son inside, dropping them off a few kilometres away.
The accused fled with a bag kept in the car containing approximately 180 grams of gold jewellery valued at Rs 20 lac, two mobile phones worth Rs 10,000, and the car estimated at Rs 3 lac, taking the total value of the looted property to Rs 23,10,000. A case in this regard was registered at the Panambur police station.
During the investigation, the robbed Maruti Dzire car was found abandoned without a number plate at Pachinadka in Bantwal on June 30.
On July 2, the police apprehended Nimil R K at Chala in Kannur district, Kerala. On the same day, the Panambur police arrested Irshad at Ponnampet in Kodagu district for aiding and sheltering the accused. Another accused, Musthafa, who assisted by providing a car to the prime accused and offering shelter, was arrested on the night of July 2 from the bus stand near Lions Club at Murnad junction in Madikeri taluk.
Preliminary investigations revealed that 14 accused were directly involved in the crime, while two others assisted and provided shelter. The three arrested accused were produced before the court on July 3 and have been remanded to 10 days of police custody for further interrogation.
Currently, the police have seized the robbed Maruti Dzire and one Innova Crysta out of the four cars used by the culprits for the crime. Three other vehicles used by the accused, 180 grams of gold jewellery, and two mobile phones are yet to be recovered.
Primary probe confirms that all the accused are from Madikeri district and Kerala state. The search for the remaining accused is underway.