Belagavi
In a major breakthrough in a high-profile robbery case involving gold traders travelling towards Goa, Belagavi Police have arrested eight persons and recovered property worth Rs 40.50 lakh. Investigators have found that the robbery near Bailur Cross in Uchawade village of Khanapur taluk on the Belagavi“Goa National Highway 748 was allegedly planned by two of the victims themselves.
Addressing a press conference, District Superintendent of Police K. Ramarajan said the case was registered on Saturday following a complaint by S.K. Ebadul, a native of West Bengal who currently lives in Shahapur, Belagavi.
Ebadul, along with Rabiyatul Ghazi and Ali Hussain Mandal, was travelling towards Goa when their vehicle was allegedly intercepted by unidentified men near Bailur Cross. According to the complaint, the trio was taken to a nearby field, where the assailants threatened them with a pistol and knives before escaping with Rs 1,00,200 in cash and 225 grams of gold.
During the investigation, police allegedly discovered that Ghazi and Mandal had planned the robbery. Police said the two, through Shahapur resident Sadiq Abdul Rahman Torgal, paid Rs 3 lakh to Vivek Chandrakant Patil to execute the crime. The arrested accused are Rabiyatul Ruhul Amin Ghazi, Ali Hussain Kabiruddin Mandal, Sadiq Abdul Rahman Torgal, Vivek Chandrakant Patil, Prashant Mahadev Chavan, Nitin Rajaram Chavan, Digambar Nagesh Patil and Mayur Raju Ghadi.
Police seized a Suzuki Brezza, an Ertiga, another car, Rs 1,00,200 in cash, a country-made pistol, knives, eight mobile phones, a motorcycle and a fake gold biscuit weighing 205 grams. The total value of the recovered property is estimated at Rs 40,50,200.
All eight accused have been produced before the court, and further investigation is in progress, SP Ramarajan said.
