Eight robbers held and Rs 1.1 crore looted cash recovered in swift police action

Bengaluru, Sep 28 (PTI) In a swift action, police have arrested eight robbers and recovered Rs 1.1 crore from an areca nut trader in Bengaluru, officials said.

According to police, Motaram (45) and his life Laxmi Devi, both hailing from Rajasthan, had come to Hulimavu in a car to hand over the money to Hemant from Tumakuru on Saturday evening.

Suddenly two strangers reached there and posing as policemen, started questioning them, police said.

Claiming they needed to check and video record them, one of the men filmed the car, the complainant, the couple, and the cash. When questioned, the miscreants assaulted Hemant, the complainant, and the woman, and attempted to snatch the cash bags, police added.

The couple managed to lock the car and drive off, but the two suspects followed on a bike, intercepted them, and deliberately hit the rear of the car. Out of fear, the Motaram took a U-turn and stopped near a vacant plot, where Hemant and Motaram were forced out of the car, they said.

Motaram's wife Laxmi Devi remained seated inside with the money bag. One of the assailants again assaulted Hemant. Soon, three to four more associates joined them.

They forcibly dragged Hemant and the Rajasthani couple into a shed at the vacant site, snatched their mobile phones, and threatened to release them only if they paid Rs 10 lakh.

The complainant was made to call his employer and demand the amount. When he refused, the victims were kept in illegal confinement for nearly two hours. The gang then robbed the couple and the complainant of Rs 1.01 crore, along with their cars and mobile phones, police added.

Soon after the complaint was lodged, police swung into action. Based on credible inputs, swift action was initiated.

"Within just 15 minutes, the team rushed to the spot, apprehended eight accused persons on the scene, recovered the looted cash of Rs 1.01 crore, and seized the vehicles (car and bike) used in the crime. The complainant and the couple were safely rescued," a police officer told reporters.

The arrested men are Narasimha (34), Jeevan (27), Kishore (30), Venkataraju (28), Chandiran (33), Kumar (36), Ravi Kiran (33), and Naman (18). Two of them, Kishore and Venkataraju, are already facing murder and robbery charges in separate cases, the officer said.

A case has been registered at Hulimavu Police Station, and investigation is in progress. PTI GMS ADB