Gang robs jeweller, police suspect foul play

A man from Tamil Nadu who was returning from a business trip was abducted and robbed by a gang of eight in three cars on the outskirts of Tumakuru on Sunday morning.

The victim, Anil Mahadev, a jeweller from Salem, had reportedly gone to buy silver bars from a client and was returning home in a car. Anil’s son Balaji and his friends Ganesh and Vinod were with him.

When their car reached Nelahal Cross on NH 48, the accused intercepted them in three cars and attacked them in the middle of the road. While Balaji and two of his friends got off and escaped, the accused reportedly abducted Anil and sped away in his car while the others followed. They later reportedly reached an isolated place near Ajjenahalli, threatened and assaulted Anil before robbing cash of ₹1 crore and 350 kilograms of silver bars from him. The accused left the car and Anil and sped away with the valuables, he claimed. Meanwhile, Balaji alerted the police who later tracked Anil down a few km away from the scene of crime and rescued him.

Senior police officials including Superintendent of Police Ashok K.V. visited the spot and supervised the investigation. The police also recorded the statement of the victims and found that there were discrepancies in their accounts. “We suspect that there is something fishy as the source of the money is not clear and there are discrepancies in the accounts given by various people involved,” a senior official said.

Published - September 29, 2024 09:16 pm IST