In a swift operation, the Surathkal police in Mangaluru have cracked a distressing case of house robbery, arresting three individuals involved in looting gold ornaments and cash worth over Rs 4.4 lakh from an 85-year-old woman. One more accused remains at large, with police efforts ongoing to apprehend him.
The Brazen Afternoon Crime
The incident occurred on December 3, around 2:30 PM, at the residence of the elderly victim, Jalaja, in Surathkal. According to her complaint, unknown persons knocked on her door asking for drinking water. When the cautious octogenarian did not open the door, the perpetrators forcibly removed roof tiles to gain entry into the house.
Once inside, the accused threatened the woman in Tulu, demanding to know where she kept her gold. They allegedly tightened a cloth around her neck and warned that she would be killed if she raised an alarm or called for help. The robbers then made off with a gold chain weighing 16 grams, two gold bangles weighing 20 grams, and Rs 14,000 in cash from a purse kept in the house.
Police Investigation and Arrests
A case was immediately registered at the Surathkal police station under the relevant sections of the law. A dedicated team led by PSI Raghu Nayak and Raghavendra Nayak began investigating, meticulously examining CCTV footage from around the crime scene.
The breakthrough led to the arrest of Shine H Putran (21), a resident of Guddekopla, Surathkal. During interrogation, Shine confessed to committing the crime along with Jason alias Lenson Karkala, who is currently absconding. Shine revealed that the stolen gold was sold in Bengaluru to two individuals: Girish from Udipalya and Vinod Kumar from Kashinagar.
Subsequently, police arrested Vinod Kumar alias Koti (33) and Girish alias Cycle Giri (28). Police records paint a serious picture of the accused. Shine has a prior case related to ganja consumption. Vinod Kumar is a rowdy-sheeter with 11 criminal cases, including charges of murder, attempt to murder, robbery, and arms offences. Girish is also a rowdy-sheeter in Kaggalipura with nine cases including attempt to murder and robbery.
Recovery and Judicial Process
All three arrested accused were produced before the court on Monday and have been remanded to judicial custody. From the accused, the police have so far recovered three mobile phones and Rs 3,000. The investigation, carried out under the guidance of ACP Srikant K and led by Inspector Pramod Kumar P, is considered a successful detection.
The case highlights a targeted crime against a vulnerable senior citizen and the prompt response by the Mangaluru police. Efforts to trace the absconding accused, Jason, and recover the remaining stolen property are continuing.
