PALAKKAD: A team of officers from the Palakkad Kasaba police has arrested Paresh Ashok Amburley alias Nikhil Ashok Joshi, 51, a native of Nashik in Maharashtra, in connection with the burglary at Marutha Road Cooperative Rural Credit Society Bank in which 7.5 kg of gold and cash were looted on July 26. He was arrested from a hotel in Satara, Maharashtra, but the police could not recover the gold as he had already sold it.
The burglary came to light on July 26, when the employees came to open the bank. The strong room was broken open with gas cutters and gold and money were found missing. The police initially could not confirm the date of the burglary as the bank had remained closed for three days.
The accused had damaged the alarm and cut the wires of the CCTV. He had removed the hard disk and also cut the power connection to the bank. He used a battery operated driller and a hydraulic cutter to break open the strong room.
Later, with the help of KSEB records, it was found that the power was disconnected on July 24 between 9.30 pm and 10 pm. The police checked CCTV footage from nearby institutions and lodges to identify the accused.
He had arrived in an Innova car and stayed at various lodges for more than a month. He had abandoned the car at Walayar while escaping to Maharashtra on July 25 morning.
The police traced the accused to Maharashtra and found him staying at an upscale hotel in Satara. He confessed to the police that he had stayed in Palakkad for a month, monitored the area and meticulously planned the burglary.