Mangaluru: In a swift breakthrough, the City Crime Branch (CCB) police arrested five persons from Pune on August 18 in connection with the sensational abduction and gold robbery of a Kerala-based jeweller in the city.
DCP (Law and Order) Mithun confirmed that the accused were produced before court and remanded to police custody. DCP (Crime and Traffic) Ravi Shankar, along with ACPs Prathap Singh Thorat and Vijaya Kranthi, were also present during the briefing.
The case dates back to August 16, when Srihari, a jewellery trader from Kerala, was kidnapped and robbed of 350 grams of gold worth around ₹35 lakh. After alighting at Mangaluru Central railway station, he was waiting for transport near Kairali Hotel when a gang in an Innova car, impersonating customs officials, confronted him. On resisting, he was forcibly pushed into the vehicle.
The gang drove him via Udupi towards Kumta–Sirsi, looted the gold, and later abandoned him at Antravalli village in Sirsi. Srihari managed to return to Mangaluru and filed a complaint at Pandeshwar police station.
Investigators suspected insider involvement as the assailants appeared to have prior knowledge of his movements. The use of a BH registration plate on the getaway vehicle also raised doubts about its authenticity.
Acting on leads, the CCB tracked the culprits to Pune and arrested them on August 18. Officials said further interrogation will uncover more about the conspiracy and whether local contacts assisted the gang.