Mangaluru: A major breakthrough has emerged in the sensational robbery involving a gold trader from Maharashtra, whose car and gold ornaments were looted on the outskirts of Mangaluru late Monday night. Police have recovered the abandoned vehicle from the Bantwal police limits, while intensifying their hunt for the seven-member gang involved in the crime.
Mangaluru Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy confirmed that the white-coloured car, stolen during the robbery, was traced in Bantwal. Preliminary examination of the vehicle revealed that the robbers had torn apart the seat covers and thoroughly searched every corner of the car, apparently looking for additional gold or cash concealed inside.
According to the police, the accused believed that the trader may have hidden valuables in secret compartments within the vehicle. The gang allegedly ripped open the upholstery and dismantled portions of the car in a desperate attempt to locate more valuables before abandoning it.
The victim, identified as 42-year-old Vikas, a gold trader from Sangli in Maharashtra, was travelling to Payyanur in Kerala with his wife and child when the robbery took place on the national highway near Baikampady. Police said a gang of seven men intercepted the family’s car in a dramatic manner, forcing the trader to stop.
The assailants allegedly dragged Vikas out of the vehicle at the spot before driving away with his wife and child still inside the car. They later dropped the two near Kuloor and escaped with the vehicle along with a bag containing around 180 grams of gold ornaments.
The entire incident was captured on nearby CCTV cameras, providing investigators with crucial leads. Police are currently analysing the footage to identify the suspects and trace their movements before and after the robbery.
Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy said multiple special teams have been constituted to crack the case. “The robbed vehicle has been recovered within the Bantwal police limits. The accused had torn the seat covers and conducted a thorough search inside the car. Based on the available evidence and key leads, our teams are proceeding with the investigation in the right direction and efforts are on to trace and arrest the accused at the earliest,” he said.
In his complaint lodged at the Surathkal Police Station, Vikas stated that the gang fled with approximately 180 grams of gold ornaments, cash and other valuables worth nearly Rs 20 lakh.
Police suspect the robbery was well planned and that the accused may have had prior information about the movement of the gold trader. Investigators are examining CCTV footage from multiple locations and gathering technical evidence to identify the gang and recover the stolen property. The investigation is continuing.
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