Ten Arrested in Dacoity Case

Mangalore: In a significant breakthrough, ten individuals have been apprehended in connection with a daring robbery that occurred on June 21 at the residence of PWD contractor Padmanabha Kotyan in Ulaibettu, under the jurisdiction of Mangalore Rural Police Station.

City Police Commissioner Anupam Agarwal addressed the media on Thursday, revealing the identities of the arrested suspects. Among them are Vasantakumar (42) and Ramesh (42), both residents of Neeramarga, as well as Balakrishna Raymond D’Souza (47) from Bantwala. The remaining detainees include Zakir Hussain (56), Vinoj (38), Sajeesh MM (32), and Satish Babu (44) from Thrissur, along with Biju G (41) from Thiruvananthapuram and Shijo Devasi (38), seven of whom hail from Kerala.

The dacoits gained entry into the house when eight to nine masked assailants forcibly entered Padmanabha Kotyan’s home. They subdued the contractor, assaulted him, and terrorised his wife and children. The criminals made off with cash and jewellery worth Rs 9 lakh, escaping in a vehicle belonging to Kotyan. However, they abandoned the vehicle a short distance away from the crime scene.

Investigations revealed that four local individuals—Vasant, Ramesh, Raymond, and Balakrishna—had meticulously planned the heist. Vasanth, who worked as a household help, also doubled as a lorry driver in Kotyan’s fleet. Balakrishna collaborated with a Kerala-based team led by John Bosco. The elaborate plan had been in the works for eight months, during which Ramesh and Vasanth provided the Kerala team with sketches and maps of the area.

While the arrested suspects face charges, authorities are still pursuing 4-5 additional individuals connected to the case. The dacoits had even brought large gunny bags, anticipating a staggering loot of Rs. 100 crore from Kotyan’s residence. Their methodical execution of the crime required police to form three teams to apprehend the accused (eom)