Representative image.
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Madikeri: In a rare case, a Kerala man on parole, who was part of a dacoity reported in Devarapura village near Gonikoppa on December 9, has returned to prison in Thrissur.
In a movie-like heist, Dinesh and his gang of 10 to 15 persons in three vehicles waylaid a car in which victims--Samjad from Kerala and his friend Appu-- were traveling at Devarapura village near Gonikoppa. They stole Rs 50 lakh cash in the wee hours of December 9. The two victims were abducted and later assaulted too, with the assailants decamping with the car and cash.
Samjad and Appu later took the assistance of a newspaper vehicle driver to reach the nearest police station to file a complaint.
Dinesh was said to be part of the gang. Efforts are on to take him under our custody, said Kodagu Superintendent of Police K Ramarajan to reporters.
Barring Dinesh, the police have arrested six persons. Ten other persons involved in the crime are yet to be arrested. Rs three lakh has been recovered from the arrested, said the SP.
The arrested are B J Nagesh (42) who had booked rooms in a lodge for 10 people from Kerala in Virajpet, Prashanth (40) from Bittangala who had given vehicles to the gang to waylaid victim’s car, A K Ramesh alias Ganja Ramesh (39), who had given his car for the crime, P C Ramesh (46) from Arasunagara in Virajpet, Jamshab (29) and Arun (29), both hailing from Kerala.
Samjad in his complaint had said that he had been to Mysuru to sell an ingot made of 750 gram gold ornaments which he had possessed.
After selling the ingot at Ashokapuram in Mysuru, he along with his friend were heading to Kerala with Rs 50 lakh cash. When enquired with the gold merchant in Mysuru, he revealed that he had purchased 930 gram of gold and had paid Rs 61 lakh. No tax was paid for the transaction. The sold gold too has been seized and handed it over to the court. Commercial tax officials have been informed of the tax evasion case, said the SP.