BENGALURU: City police do not have a reputation for being snappy when it comes to solving crimes. However, Shankarapuram police station staff has broken that stereotype.
In a recent case, the sleuths arrested three youths on charges of stealing a car within 24 hours of committing the crime.
In a twist to the tale, the owner of the vehicle heard of its disappearance only after the Shankarapuram police notified him.
In the first week of December, a vehicle belonging to Manjunath Bhandary, parked in front of his house in Sadashivnagar, was stolen. In 24 hours, Shankarapuram police sleuths had recovered it.
Rajanna, the official who flagged down the Honda CR-V valued at around `27 lakh, said the accused were caught when they were stopped as a part of the usual nakabandhi. The nakabandhi was coincidentally conducted the day after the theft near the Ashoka Shishu Vihara on Ranga Rao Road in Shankarapuram.
“The car came speeding towards our barricades, due to which I flagged it down,” he said. “When we asked the three youngsters in the car for the documents, they first said they didn’t possess it and then that they would produce it shortly.”
The officer’s suspicion was aroused, and the police seized the car and sent it to the station. “Later, the trio confessed when they were being interrogated,” he said.
The car was reportedly stolen by Bhandary’s aide Sachin (20), a native of Davangere district who used to work at the former’s residence in the city. It is said that Bhandary, a political leader and the owner of a private educational institution, normally stays in Shivamogga and Mangaluru. Whenever in the city, he stays in his Sadashivanagar house.
“Sachin, realising that Bhandary had left for Mangaluru and would not be coming back for some time, made a duplicate of the car’s keys, and stole it along with his friends,” said officials.
Mounesh and Ramesh, both 20 years old, and a driver and cleaner respectively, have been arrested as they colluded with Sachin. The trio are currently in judicial custody. The Shankarapuram police inspector confirmed these details. The car has been returned to Bhandary, he added.