Inter-state robber gang busted; 10 arrested

By Hameed Ashraf | NT

Bengaluru: It took 45 days for a team of police to scan footage of 250 CCTV cameras before zeroing in on a notorious interstate gang that has been robbing affluent businessmen since 2009 on state highways.

Madanayakanahalli police have arrested 10 people, recovered Rs 9.7 lakh in cash and seized two SUVs and several lethal weapons from them. However the main accused, Sridharan of Thrissur in Kerala, is still on the run, police added.

It was revealed that Sridharan had formed the gang to rob wealthy businessmen in the city. The modus operandi involved procuring infor mation about businessmen carrying cash or valuables in their vehicle. The gang would then ambush their victims on the highways, looting them of valuables.

The latest incident took place on March 11, when a businessman along with his employees was bound to Nagercoil from Hubballi in a car around 6.10 am in the morning. The accused along with his gang chased the car and attacked the victims with rods and machetes. They made away with valuables including Rs 1 crore in cash and the SUV from the victims.

A complaint was filed regarding the incident at Madanayakanahalli police station and a probe launched by the inspector to nab the miscreants. A team of policemen recovered the stolen SUV from an isolated place near Bengaluru-Hassan Highway.

The gang used another vehicle to avoid coming into the notice of the policemen. CCTV cameras and police sources confirmed the movements of the gang in Pandavapura, Srirangapatna, Mysuru and Chamarajanagar through the registration number on the vehicle.

Police said that Sridharan has at least 16 cases of robbery and extortion filed against him from Kerala and Tamil Nadu apart from Karnataka. Going through their records, police also found a case registered against him in 2009 with the Chickpet police.