Stephan Kayyar
Daijiworld Media Network - Kasargod (SP)
Kasargod, Sep 16: The police have expressed strong suspicion that the brain behind the daylight robbery at Eriyal branch of Kudlu Service Cooperative Bank on September 7, Shariff (42), popularly known with the name 'Duldul' in the region, and who is a resident of Bandiyod Pachchambala, might have fled to a foreign destination.
In the meanwhile, another accused, Shabbir, residing near Chowki, has been arrested in Goa. He has been accused of standing guard outside the bank and keeping a close vigil on the happenings around, when robbers got busy with their task inside the bank.
The police personnel have brought Mahshook (25) after he was arrested from Bengaluru, to the town. He is being questioned. The other three accused, Mujeeb, Shihab, and Riyaz, have absconded together. The police personnel have also been searching for another accused, Karim, said to be a relative of Shabbir. It is said that Shariff had helped the above three persons to go underground at Goa. When returning to the town, he came to know that police had kept a watch on his movements. Therefore, he changed his plans and planned to fly outside the country, the police personnel claim.
The police said that five persons had entered the bank for robbery, while the others, numbering four or five, stood guard outside. The investigating officials believe that the booty was shared among all the robbers. Primary inquiries have revealed that the gold robbed from the bank was distributed among five persons. Shariff, who is believed to have escaped to a foreign country, is believed to have got lion's share in the robbed gold ornaments. However, so far, the police have failed to find out the whereabouts of the huge haul of gold taken away from the bank.
There are allegations that the police department was lax in handling the matter. Although the robbery came to light within minutes, police failed to either set up barricades at strategic points to stop the accused from sneaking into neighbouring districts, nor did they take measures to sound the airports about the culprits, although they were aware that some of the robbers might make an effort to fly outside the country.
During the questioning of Mahshook, the police learnt that two attempts were earlier made to steal cash and gold from the above bank, and both these attempts were guided by Shariff from Bandiyod. Both had failed at the last minute. The gang members, who moved around the bank for many days, had studied the movement of bank staff. Shariff had asked the other accused to flee and lie low after taking them to a secret destination, as they had been involved in some past cases of theft.