In a movie-like heist, Dinesh and his gang of 10 to 15 people in three vehicles intercepted a car in which the victims – Samjad from Kerala and his friend Appu – were traveling at Devarapura village near Gonikoppa. They stole Rs 50 lakh in cash on the morning of 9 December. Both victims were kidnapped and later attacked, with the attackers fleeing with the car and cash.
Samjad and Appu later took the help of a newspaper van driver to reach the nearest police station to lodge a complaint.
It is said that Dinesh was part of this gang. “Efforts are on to take him into our custody,” Kodagu Superintendent of Police K Ramarajan told reporters.
Police have arrested six people except Dinesh. Ten other people involved in the crime are yet to be arrested. SP said that Rs 3 lakh has been recovered from the arrested people.
Those arrested include BJ Nagesh (42), who had booked rooms at a lodge for 10 people from Kerala in Virajpet, Prashanth (40) of Bittanagala who had given vehicles to the gang to intercept the victim’s car. , AK Ramesh alias Ganja Ramesh (39). Those who lent their car for the crime were P C Ramesh (46), Jamshab (29) and Arun (29) of Arasunagara in Virajpet, both hailing from Kerala.
Samjad had said in his complaint that he had gone to Mysuru to sell an ingot containing 750 grams of gold jewelery with him.
After selling the ingots in Ashokapuram, Mysuru, he was going to Kerala with his friend carrying Rs 50 lakh in cash. When the gold trader in Mysuru was questioned, he told that he had purchased 930 grams of gold and paid Rs 61 lakh. No taxes were paid for the transaction. The gold sold has also been confiscated and handed over to the court. SP said that information about the tax evasion case has been given to the commercial tax authorities.
