Gangs that rob gold merchants on Mysuru-Hunsur Road become active

Mysuru:  In a daring act of crime, a group of miscreants made away with    Rs. 1 crore cash and a car belonging to a Kerala-based businessman on the busy Mysuru-Hunsur Road on Mar. 16.

The sensational incident has been reported late and interestingly, the crime occurred at 6.45 am on a busy stretch where the miscreants, who came in a SUV, kidnapped the businessman and his two associates and dropped them at a deserted stretch before the loot.

While the car has been recovered by the Police, a special team has been formed to crack the case. The case has become a headache for the Police as it looks like the gangs that loot Kerala gold businessmen — on their way from Bengaluru to their hometown via Hunsur, Virajpet and Kannur — have suddenly become active after a long break.

The businessman, Sooraj, alias Gopinath, dealt with gold and owned Swapna Jewellers in Paanoor town at Thalassery in Kannur district of Kerala.

In his complaint to the Hunsur Rural Police, Sooraj has stated that on Mar. 15, he and his relatives Krishnadev and Subhash took 2 kg gold from his shop and started towards Bengaluru to sell the gold.

They took their Swift car (KL-13-AC-7372) and headed towards Bengaluru via Manandavadi and Bavali. They also had an intention to start a new business in Mysuru and had booked a room for the purpose. The trio arrived at the room at 1 pm on the same day and paid the landlord Rs. 60,000 as an advance for the rented room.

Gold deal in Bengaluru

Later, they left to Bengaluru with the gold and reached Chikpet at 5 pm and met a gold merchant. The deal was finalised and Sooraj sold the 2 kg gold for Rs. 1 crore. After taking cash (Rs. 30 Lakh in Rs. 2,000 denomination and Rs. 70 lakh in Rs. 500 denomination) for the sold gold from the merchant, the trio kept the cash in the hand-brake box and left Bengaluru at 6.30 pm.

They decided not to stop-over in Bengaluru and wished to travel as they had huge cash with them. Subhash was driving the car and instead of taking Bavali-Manandavadi Road via Mysuru, they decided to take Hunsur-Gonikoppal-Virajpet-Kannur Road. As they were feeling drowsy, they stopped the car at Café Coffee Day near Hunsur at midnight and stopped to sleep for a few hours.

They woke up at 6.20 am on Mar. 16 and headed towards Gonikoppal and Subhash was behind the wheels. The car crossed Hunsur and after four to five kilometres, they stopped the car by the side of the road to wash themselves and go to the toilet. While Subhash was seated inside the car, Sooraj got down to fetch water from the boot of the car at around 6.45 am.

Kidnap and loot

As they were preparing for their morning routine, an Innova SUV stopped in front of Sooraj’s Swift car. “Over seven persons alighted from the SUV and headed straight towards us and assaulted us on our faces. They later bundled us into the Innova and kidnapped us to an unfamiliar location after snatching our mobile phones,” Sooraj stated in his complaint.

Later, the criminals stopped at a deserted place and forcibly made Sooraj, Krishnadev and Subhash to alight from the car. The Innova sped away. When the trio returned to the spot from where they were picked up, the car along with Rs. 1 crore cash was missing, Sooraj told the Police. Later they learnt that the place was Yeshodharapura.

Initial investigations have revealed that the criminals dropped them near Urasu Kallahalli between Hunsur and Chilkunda and both the cars headed towards Hunsur. The Police have found Sooraj’s car abandoned at Chilkunda but cash was missing in it.