Stephan Kayyar
Daijiworld Media Network - Kasargod (EP)
Kasargod, Sep 20: The police have arrested yet another accused who was said to be directly involved in the daylight robbery at Kudlu Service Cooperative Bank, Eriyal. With this, the number of arrests has gone up to four.
Shanu alias Shahnawaz (22) was arrested in Kasargod on Saturday September 19. He was absconding in Ernakulam after the incident, and had come to Kasargod to surrender in the court. The police who came to know about it arrested him before he could surrender himself.
On seeing the police, Shahnawaz tried to flee, but the police chased and caught him.
It is said that he was one of the five armed robbers who entered the bank on September 7 and looted several kilograms of gold and Rs 13 lac in cash after tying up women staff and a customer.
Two more accused are still absconding. The police have so far arrested Shariff, the prime accused, Shabbir and Mahshook. While Shariff was arrested in Karwar, Shabbir was nabbed in Goa and Mahshook in Bengaluru.
It has also been found that two of the accused - Shariff and Mujeeb - are holding two passports each. The investigating team is likely to take action against the policemen who had verified the details of passport holders. It is suspected that they might have tried to flee the country after the crime.
In another development, though the police had said earlier that 21 kg of gold and Rs 13 lac had been robbed from the bank, the police now say that the total gold weighed 17 kg, out of which 7.150 kg has been recovered from Shariff. The hunt for two other accused is on.