Tamil Nadu Sub-Inspector, family attacked at knifepoint; 3 arrested

Mysore/Mysuru: After a brief lull, the stretch of NH-275 between Mysuru and Bengaluru has once again become a hotspot for late-night robberies. Commuters, including families and out-of-State travellers, are being targeted by armed miscreants striking under the cover of darkness.

Yesterday, the Channapatna Rural Police arrested a three-member gang for robbing a Police Sub-Inspector from Tamil Nadu and his family at knifepoint on the Mysuru-Bengaluru National Highway.

The accused have been identified as 30-year-old Syed Tanvir alias Tannu of Channapatna town, 28-year-old Fairoz Pasha of Bengaluru South and 32-year-old Tanveer Pasha of Gejjalagudde in Ramanagara.

Syed Tanvir has over 10 criminal cases against him, including robbery, dacoity and house theft. The gang had robbed the family of a 16-gram gold chain, Rs. 10,000 in cash and two mobile phones, together worth about Rs. 1.35 lakh.

Incident at 2 am

The incident occurred around 2 am on Oct. 7 near the Channapatna Bypass. The victim, P.J. Shaji, a Special Sub-Inspector attached to the Cherambadi Police Station in Nilgiris district, Tamil Nadu, was travelling to Bengaluru with his wife Merlyn Shaji and two children to pick up their elder son.

In his complaint, Shaji stated that he had parked his car by the side of the Highway to rest when three men on a gearless scooter approached and threatened his family at knifepoint before fleeing with the valuables.

“I came to Bengaluru to pick up my son Edwin Shaji, who had completed a Hotel Management course at the Taj Hotel, M.G. Road, Halasuru. I, along with my wife Merlyn, son Ebin Shaji and daughter Emilda Shaji, was returning home in our Kwid car (KL-09-AM-9835). We reached Lambanitandya village junction near the Channapatna Bypass around 1.30 am and decided to take a short nap. I parked the car on the service road,” he said.

“Within minutes, at around 2 am, a jeep stopped nearby and its driver asked for directions to Mysuru. I said I wasn’t sure, and the vehicle drove off. About 10 minutes later, three men arrived on a scooter. The rider brandished a knife, snatched my gold chain, while others took Rs. 10,000 in cash from dashboard and two mobile phones from the seats,” Shaji’s  complaint read.

Police launch a manhunt

After the robbers sped away, Shaji alerted patrolling Police, who rushed to assist. Based on his complaint, the Channapatna Rural Police registered a case under BNS Section 309 (robbery) and launched a manhunt.

Investigators soon found that one stolen phone had been switched off near the crime spot, while the other remained active until Ramanagara. “This helped us track their movement and narrow down their location. CCTV footage confirmed their identity, leading to the arrests,” a Police officer said.

The operation was led by Circle Inspector B.K. Prakash of Channapatna Rural Police Station, assisted by PSI B. Manohar, Probationary PSIs Ajay Gowda and Prajwal, and supported by Head Constables Shivakumar and Hanumanth Shetty, and Constables N.P. Shivu, Pavan Kumar, Praveen and Mahadev from District Technical Division.