BELAGAVI: Khanapur police have cracked a highway robbery case involving the theft of cash and gold ornaments worth lakhs of rupees, and arrested eight accused, including two associates of the complainant who allegedly masterminded the crime.
The case was registered after SK Ibadul, a gold jewellery artisan from West Bengal and residing in Shahapur, Belagavi, filed a complaint. On May 20, Ibadul was travelling to Goa with his friends, Rabiyul Ghazi and Ali Hussain Mandal, when their vehicle was intercepted near Bailur Cross on NH-748 in the Uchavade village limits of Khanapur taluk.
The assailants dragged the occupants to a nearby field and threatened them with a pistol and knife before robbing them of Rs 1,00,200 in cash and looting 225 gm of gold from Rabiyul. Police uncovered a startling twist. Rabiyul Ghazi and Ali Hussain Mandal, who initially appeared to be victims, were found to have allegedly conspired with a Shahapur resident to stage the robbery. The trio reportedly hired another accused for Rs 3 lakh to execute the crime, who in turn assembled a gang of accomplices.
The arrested accused include Rabiyul Ghazi, Ali Hussain Mandal, Sadiq Torgal, Vivek Patil, Prashant Chavan, Nitin Chavan, Digambar Patil, and Mayur Ghadi. The police said Mayur Ghadi had allegedly supplied the country-made pistol used in the robbery.
Police have recovered property worth Rs 40 lakh, including two cars, Rs 1,00,200 in cash, a country-made pistol, knife, eight mobile phones, and a motorcycle used in the offence. All eight accused were produced before court.
The accused, Rabiyul Ghazi and Ali Hussain Mandal, who were in deep debt, knew that their friend Ibadul is wealthy and conspired a plan with a gang to threaten and loot him.
