Daijiworld Media Network - Moodbidri (SP)

Moodbidri, Apr 20: Policemen from the local police station, on Sunday April 19, arrested an accused who reportedly stole cashew nuts worth Rs 70,000 from a cashew factory located at Gantalkatte in Karinje village here. They seized assets worth Rs 3.70 lac including two Maruti Omni cars and cashew nuts from his possession.

The accused has been identified as Rashid alias Basheer (27), son of Abdul Rehman from Montetadka Indira Nagar, Puttur. He has been accused ot breaking open the lock of a godown belonging to Arihant Cashew Factory in Gantalkatte on April 17 and stealing 17 gunny bags filled with cashew nuts stored there. It is learnt that the owners of the factory were on a visit to Karinje temple's annual festival at that time. The policemen say that the accused had hidden the stolen cashew nuts in a secluded spot in Govugudde nearby overnight after transporting the nuts in a Maruti Omni van.

The accused was going to B C Road in his Maruti Omni van when a police team led by the local police inspector, Anantapadmanabha, intercepted the vehicle. The police team found that the van contained seven gunny bags full of cashew nuts. During the police questioning, he confessed to his crime, it is learnt.

The arrested accused had been arrested and jailed in cases involving theft of cashew nuts from Dhanalaxmi Cashew Factory, Gandhinagar here in 2007, and again for the theft of cashew nuts from the courtyard of Mithila Nivas, Alangaru. There are some cases registered against him in Bantwal and Puttur stations too, it is gathered.