KOCHI: The probe into the sensational Edayar gold heist case has taken a new turn with investigators finding certain leads indicating the involvement of a few police officers. It is learnt the inquiry found links between officers and the accused who carried out the daring act. But the Special Investigation Team (SIT) is still clueless on the 20 kg of gold looted by desperadoes when it was being transported to CGR Metalloys Pvt Ltd in Edayar on May 9.
The SIT had taken the five accused Sathish Sebastian, Rashid Basheer, Naseeb Noushad, Suneesh Sudhakaran and Bibin George to CGR Metalloys to gather evidence. They were quizzed by the SIT, but could not recover the loot.
The needle of suspicion pointed towards the officers since the accused are career criminals familiar to police in Ernakulam. And the probe revealed that cases, including robbery, dacoity and assault, are pending against them at various police stations.
“The accused misled the officers by claiming they buried the loot in a forest area. Though the police team conducted a thorough search, the loot couldn’t be recovered. Besides, the officers suspect the accused received help from a few persons, including police officers and lawyers, while they were holed up at a farmhouse in Idukki,” said an officer.
However, Aluva ASP M J Sojan, heading the SIT, played down the role of police officers in the heist. “The investigation to recover the gold is underway and there is no major development on that front yet,” he said. Recently, Ernakulam District Principal Sessions Court dismissed the bail pleas of the accused, Naseeb Noushad and Suneesh on the grounds that the loot has not been recovered yet.
The case
On the night of May 9, a two-member gang attacked the car carrying gold when it arrived in front of CGR Metalloys Pvt Ltd’s gate around 9.57 pm. After smashing the vehicle’s window panes, the gang used pepper spray on the employees before fleeing with the loot. The police arrested all the five accused including mastermind Sathish Sebastian of Idukki.