Udupi: In a swift breakthrough, Brahmavar police have arrested an inter-state thief involved in the theft of money belonging to pygmy collectors from a bike’s side box.
The arrested accused has been identified as Santosh Hanumantha Kattimani (39), a resident of Indi taluk, Bijapur district. Police have recovered Rs 32,000 in cash and a mobile phone from him.
The incident occurred on the evening of August 4, when pygmy collectors from a cooperative society had collected funds from the Karnataka Bank ATM, located opposite Shivalli Hotel in Brahmavar. They locked the collected amount in the side box of their bike and went into the hotel for further collections.
Upon returning, they discovered that the side box lock had been forcibly broken. Along with the cash, PAN and Aadhaar cards and other crucial documents were also missing.
A case was immediately registered at Brahmavar police station, following which the police launched a manhunt. Based on CCTV footage and intelligence inputs, Santosh was traced and apprehended.
The arrest has highlighted the activities of inter-state theft rings targeting cash-carrying individuals, especially those working with financial cooperatives.
Police have urged people to avoid leaving valuables unattended in vehicles, even for short periods.