Malavalli: A shocking revelation awaited Malavalli Sub-Division Police, who had arrested a gang of five dacoits for threatening a home-alone woman and looting gold jewellery and cash from the house.

During interrogation, the Police were shocked after the accused revealed that they had received supari from a couple to eliminate their son-in-law, who was from a different caste and the interesting part is that the gang had burgled the house of the couple who had given them supari.

Details: Sushma, daughter of Venkatesh and Puttathayamma couple of Vaddara Colony in Malavalli had married one Arun Kumar, belonging to a different caste a year ago, after they fell in love. Despite stiff opposition from Sushma’s parents they had got married.

About three months ago, Venkatesh and Puttathayamma had given a supari of Rs. 1.25 lakh, paid in instalments, to 38-year-old Lokesh, a private ambulance driver at Bengaluru and 36-year-old Kumar, a native of Arakalgud and a fruit vendor at Malavalli. Kumar was residing at Kote Beedhi in Malavalli. This was revealed by the accused during interrogation.

Lokesh and Kumar, who had other plans, had planned to burgle the house of Venkatesh and Puttathayamma. On Feb. 12 at about 9 pm, Lokesh and Kumar along with 38-year-old Mohan of Bengaluru and 35-year-old Lokesh of Malavalli, took the car (KA-05-MQ-1623) of one Mahadeva and came to the house of Venkatesh and Puttathayamma. On finding Puttathayamma alone at the house, Lokesh and Kumar, who informed her that the other persons accompanying them were Police, brandished a toy pistol and knife and took away Rs. 35,000 cash kept in the almirah and also snatched a 30-gram gold chain and a 3-gram gold finger ring from Puttathayamma.

Puttathyamma, who later came to know that the persons who had come to her house were not Police but dacoits, lodged a complaint at Malavalli Town Police Station. Superintendent of Police (SP) Parashuram, who took up the case, formed a special team comprising Malavalli DySP M.J. Pruthvi, Malavalli Town Inspector C.N. Ramesh, Malavalli Rural Sub-Inspector H.D. Manju and staff Anjanamurthy, A.C. Prakash, C. Umesh, Sunil Kumar and Police Jeep driver Siddegowda to be supervised by ASP Dr. V.J. Shobharani.

The team, which took up the case, conducted an operation and arrested the five accused near Ramanagar and subjected them to interrogation during which the accused revealed that they had received supari from Venkatesh and Puttathayamma to kill their son-in-law, Arun. The gang also confessed to the burglary. The Police immediately took Venkatesh and Puttathayamma also into custody and on enquiry, the couple spilled the beans.    

The Police, who have registered a case of dacoity against the five persons, have also registered a case against Venkatesh and Puttathayamma for giving supari to kill their son-in-law. 

All the accused were produced before a Court, which remanded them to judicial custody.