• 15-member gang came in three cars during wee hours
• Victim and his friend were on way to native after selling jewellery in Mysuru

Gonikoppa (Kodagu): A gang of 15 dacoits robbed a contractor from Kerala of Rs. 50 lakh after allegedly kidnapping him and his friend, in his car at Devarapura near Gonikoppa, Ponnampet taluk, Kodagu district yesterday, before abandoning them and fleeing from the spot.

K. Shamjad, aged 38 years, a contractor and resident of Kodakkad, Tirurangadi taluk, Malappuram district, Kerala, is the victim. Afnu, a student and resident of Adarur Panchayat limits, Kozhikode, Kerala, was with Shamjad in the car at the time of the incident. 

Shamjad and Afnu had come driving all the way to Mysuru on Friday (Dec. 8), where the former sold his jewellery at a shop on Ashoka Road. They were travelling back to Kerala yesterday in their car, when they slowed down near Devarapura, noticing a lorry that had broken down on the road at about 3 am. To their shock, three cars came from nowhere and a gang of about 10 to 15 people waylaid their vehicle and threatened them to part with the money.

When the duo denied carrying cash on hand, they allegedly assaulted and kidnapped them in their (victims) car. They also assaulted them on the move, before pushing them out and driving away with their car along with Rs. 50 lakh cash.

As it was pitch dark, the victims couldn’t identify the place where they were abandoned and walked up to a distance of one-and-a-half kms before reaching the main road.

They got a lift in a newspaper van at 4 am and reached Virajpet Police Station.

As Devarapura where the crime took place falls under Gonikoppa Police Station limits, Virajpet Police themselves took Shamjad and Afnu to Gonikoppa, where they lodged a complaint, as stated by Shamjad.

Acting on the complaint, Gonikoppa Police swung into action and succeeded in tracing their car which had been lifted by the dacoits to Kolathodu village in between Gonikoppa and Virajpet, but was damaged by the perpetrators.

DIGP (Southern Range) Dr. M.B. Boralingaiah and Kodagu Superintendent of Police (SP) K. Ramarajan visited the spot.

According to SP Ramarajan, a special team has been constituted under his leadership, including Addl. SP and DySP, three Inspectors and seven Sub-Inspectors, to trace the dacoits.