VIJAYAWADA: The city police on Monday solved the gold heist case that rocked Vijayawada in 13 days’ time and arrested seven of the ten accused in the case. They have also recovered 4.025 kg of the stolen 5 kg gold. Police Commissioner Gautam Sawang on Monday said the armed burglary was the handiwork of professionals and ex-convicts hailing from different states including Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. They allegedly got acquainted in the jails where they were previously lodged.
After conducting a recce based on the information provided by Tanmai Mandal, a former employee of the gold workshop, the dacoits attacked the outlet at Mahamkali Market along Gopal Reddy road of Governorpet area on July 11. Following the robbery, police launched an intense manhunt for the accused by forming as many as 11 teams comprising 102 officers including a DCP, 4 ACPs, and seven inspectors and conducted checks at Renigunta, Tirupati, Chennai, Rameswaram, Veera, Varanasi, Ghazipur, Paliya, Midnapur, Mumbai, Varanasi, Kolkata and Bengaluru.
Sawang said despite the gang’s attempts to mislead the police by splitting and going in different directions, they “failed to escape the long hands of the law”. “We did not stop at any point. We sent teams all over India. During the manhunt, the police took 23 flights and hired 16 private vehicles,” explained. Sawang and lauded his staff.
Who hatched the conspiracy
Tanmai Mondal, a native of West Midnapore district in West Bengal, worked at the workshop for nine months before quitting in March last year. He hatched the conspiracy with the help of his cousin Dilip Maity, an ex-convict by forming a group with other criminals and conducting recces several times.They had planned to strike on July 10, but had to postpone the attack as the shop had already been shut by the time they arrived
What happened on July 11
Around 9:30 pm, eight people entered Manna Shaker’s gold workshop, threatened the 17 persons there with guns and knives before making way with around 5 kg gold and `2.5 lakh. The city police rushed to the spot and immediately alerted their counterparts in neighbouring districts and states. The accused were almost caught that night, but managed to give cops a slip twice. When they found out that the police had set up checkposts at Y Junction in Guntur, they abandoned the vehicle and fled.
The vehicle that the accused used had a Maharashtra registration number and was the key lead in solving the case. Investigating authorities identified the driver on July 12 and on realising that he had swiped his credit card at Renigunta, sent teams to Renigunta. .From there, the miscreants fled to Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu, from where the moved to Rameswaram with an intention to flee to Sri Lanka. They had arranged a boat, but it didn’t come on time. Fearing that cops would zero in on them, they fled to Bengaluru. The police then lost track of them for a few days, but soon got a tip off on their whereabouts.
Learning that the cops were hot on their trail, the accused disbanded and dispersed to various places to mislead the police. From Bengaluru some went to Pune, some to Thane, Ira, and Mumbai. Five were caught in Mumbai when they met to distribute the loot among themselves. Two others were arrested from West Midnapore.The arrested are Santhosh Rathan Singh Thakur of Uttaranchal, Santhosh Adithya Bhansraj Singh of Uttar Pradesh, Suresh Ayyakutti Tewar (29) of Maharashtra, Dasarath Dagudu of Maharashtra, Sheikh Khwaja Mohinuddin Chand (24), Tanmai Mandal (27) and Dilip Maithy (38) of West Bengal.
The accused were brought to Vijayawada on Monday. Police are looking for the three others involved in the case.
The arrested
Santhosh Rathan Singh Thakur alias Nepali (36) of Uttaranchal, Santhosh Adithya Bhansraj Singh alias Jagudu Bhai (43) of Uttar Pradesh, Suresh Ayyakutti Tewar (29) of Maharashtra, Dasarath Dagudu alias Datha (46) of Maharashtra, Sheikh Khwaja Mohinuddin Chand (24), Tanmai Mandal (27) and Dilip Maithy (38) of West Bengal.
What happened on July 11
Around 9:30 pm, eight people entered Manna Shaker’s gold workshop, threatened 17 persons there with guns and knives before making way with around 5 kg gold and J2.5 lakh.