Police ask for proof of cash stolen; tell victim to lodge a complaint at Davangere

Mysuru: A passenger travelling on a high-end KSRTC Airavata Club Class bus from Davangere to Mysuru has reported the loss of Rs. 10 lakh in cash, which he had kept in his bag.

The incident is said to have occurred on May 6. However, when he went to the Lashkar Police Station in Mysuru city to lodge a complaint, he was asked for proof of the cash stolen and was told to file the complaint at Davangere.

The victim has been identified as A. Amith, son of S.V. Annappa, a goldsmith and resident of 9th Cross, Siddaveerappa Layout, Davanagere.

Details of the incident

Amith’s friend, Vinayaka L. Tiliwal, a resident of Mysuru, had taken a loan by pledging gold at the Manappuram Finance Limited, Yelwal Branch. As Vinayaka had defaulted on his instalments, the finance company had initiated proceedings to auction the pledged gold.

At Vinayaka’s request, Amith agreed to help by arranging money. Amith pledged his own pearl chain, a gold necklace, a gold bracelet, a pair of gold earrings and a 13-gram gold chain to Vishal Jain, the proprietor of a jewellery store in Davangere, where Amith was employed. In return, he secured a loan of Rs. 10 lakh.

Amith boarded the KSRTC Airavata Club Class bus (KA-17-F-1579) from Davangere at around 10 pm on May 5, carrying the cash in a bag. He wrapped the bag in a towel and placed it in the overhead luggage rack before taking his seat.

The bus, which had 22 passengers, reached Mysuru’s Sub-Urban Bus Stand at around 4.45 am on May 6. When the driver announced the final stop, Amith retrieved his bag — only to find the cash missing.

Shocked, Amith frantically searched the bus along with the driver, but the money was nowhere to be found. He then checked the CCTV footage from the bus, which showed that two passengers boarded at Chitradurga at 11.49 pm on May 5.

No one boarded at Kunigal or Tumakuru, and no passengers alighted until Mandya, where one woman and another passenger (who had booked a ticket to Mysuru) got off.

Amith rushed to the Lashkar Police Outpost near the Sub-Urban Bus Stand and reported the theft. However, the CCTV footage did not provide clear visuals of the faces of those who alighted at Mandya.

He later visited the Lashkar Police Station and informed officers there. However, the Police reportedly told Amith to file a complaint in Davangere, citing that the money was being transported from there. They also asked him to provide proof of the Rs. 10 lakh he was carrying.

Speaking to Star of Mysore, Amith said that he had called his employer, the jewellery store owner who had given him the money, and even had him speak to the Police. Despite this, the Police did not register a case.