Tirunelveli/Mangaluru: Three men from Thoothukudi district, Tamil Nadu, have been arrested in connection with the Rs four crore bank robbery that took place in Mangaluru, Karnataka on January 17, police said.
The accused - Murugandi, Joshua, and Manikandan, were apprehended following a multi-state investigation, they said.
The robbery occurred at a cooperative bank in Ullal, a suburb of Mangaluru when a gang of five armed men stormed the premises. The robbers faces covered, threatened bank employees at gunpoint and fled with a significant amount of gold jewelry and cash.
Mangaluru City Police Commissioner Anup Agarwal stated that the robbers used two vehicles with forged registration numbers to escape towards Kerala.
While CCTV footage within the bank was non-functional, surveillance cameras outside the bank captured the suspects fleeing the scene in a black Fiat car. Following an extensive investigation, including analysing CCTV footage from toll booths and other locations, authorities traced the suspects to Mumbai, police said.
Manikandan was apprehended in Mumbai, and his interrogation led to the identification and arrest of Murugandi and Joshua in Thoothukudi.
"The accused had been planning this heist for several weeks and had even recruited associates from other states. After the robbery, they divided the loot and fled in different directions," a senior police officer from Thoothukudi said.
The investigation revealed that the accused, who had been residing in Mumbai for several years, had prior criminal records. They allegedly formed a criminal syndicate while incarcerated in Mumbai and planned the Mangaluru robbery with associates from other states.
Murugandi and Joshua were arrested in Thoothukudi and will be handed over to Mangaluru police. Authorities have recovered approximately Rs two lakhs in cash, jewellery, and firearms from the accused.
Meanwhile, the Police arrested one of the accused by shooting him in the leg. Three police personnel were also injured in the incident.
Manikandan, a resident of Mumbai, was arrested and brought to Mangaluru for questioning. During this, he tried to escape, but the police fired at his leg and took him into custody.
Agarwal said, "A spot check was conducted near Ankarugudde on K.C. Road under the jurisdiction of Ullal Police Station at around 4:20 pm today. The check was conducted in the presence of the accused, Ullal Police Inspector Balakrishna H.N. and members of the investigation team."
"During the inspection, the accused tried to escape from police custody. At the spot, he attacked the escort personnel Anjanappa and Nithin with a beer bottle. Despite the warning, the accused continued his assault and tried to escape. At this time, CCB police inspectors shot the accused in the leg and took him into custody," added Agarwal.
"Ullal police inspector Balakrishna, CCB unit PC Anjanappa and Ullal police inspector Nithin were injured in the incident. The injured personnel and the accused were immediately shifted to Deralakatte Yenepoya Hospital for treatment. A case has been registered at Ullal police station in this regard and a probe is underway," the top police official added.
