Pics: Mounesh Vishwakarma

Daijiworld Media Network - Bantwal (SP)

Bantwal, Feb 5 : Five members of a gang who had arrived at the house of Vighnaraja Bhat at Arasalike in Karopady village near here at around 2 am on January 24 in two cars, tied up the family members besides threatening them, and then up a spot adjacent to their house in search of hidden treasure, were arrested by the police personnel on Saturday February 4. The gang that had hoped to strike it rich based on astrological calculations, had returned empty-handed in this case.

The arrested men are Poyyakanda Iqbal alia Ikku (22) from Kanyana village, Kodla Muhammed Ali alias Ali Monu (29) belonging to Karopady, Abbas (26) from Mundkoor, Kanyana and currently residing at Badimar in Bakrabail, Kasargod district, Ashraf alias L T T Ashraf (21), resident of Kulalkody in Kudtamugeru, Kolnadu village, and Ashiq P (19), resident of Bayikatte Lakshabeedu in Paivalike village. The other accused, Shaffi K alias Kalandar Shaffi from Paivalike, Chotu Shaffi from Kerala, Harris from Mittanadka and some other accused are still at large, police personnel said.

A special team formed to investigate the case had gathered information about the gang members living in Kasargod, Kumble, Paivalike, Manjeshwar etc. They succeeded in taking the above accused into custody from near Salethur, Vittal on Saturday along with the Innova and Alto cars they had used during the robbery attempt and also the lethal weapons they carried during the treasure hunt.