Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (EP)

Udupi, Mar 18: In a major case of loot, a jeweller from Kerala was abducted and robbed of gold and cash worth Rs 42.57 lac

Dilip, a jeweller from Thissur, was looted on the night of Friday, March 17 when he was on the way from Kerala to Mangaluru via Karkala.

It is said that Dilip had been travelling by bus with 1.5 kg of gold worth Rs 40 lac and Rs 2.57 lac in cash in his possession. He was in the process of selling gold jewellery at different places, and had sold 450 grams of gold in Mangaluru and 67 grams in Moodbidri before going to Perdoor. He later sold 35 grams of gold to Namratha Jewellers in Perdoor, received pending dues of Rs 2,57,200 from there and boarded a bus heading to Udupi from Karkala.

While in the bus, a stranger who sat next to him introduced himself as a policeman. The stranger picked up a quarrel with Dilip without any reason, held his collar and pushed him out of the bus as the bus reached Ishwarnagar, Manipal. As the conductor and the passengers too believed the robber to be a cop, they remained silent, it is said. Dilip too did not fight back for the same reason, sources said.

After alighting, some more accomplices joined the robber and pushed Dilip into a gray Ritz car. The robbers, who were 6 in number, threatened Dilip with a weapon which looked like a pistol. They snatched cash and gold from Dilip, and left him at Nandikoor industrial area, Padubidri and fled.

Police opine that as Dilip had not opted for any security, he became an easy target. It is also suspected that the robber who was in the bus had followed Dilip and was secretly passing information to his accomplices from the bus.

Sources said that police are preparing sketches of the accused based on Dilip's statement.

After being dropped at Padubidri, Dilip came to his brother's house in Mangaluru and together, they went to Hiriadka to file a complaint. As the incident took place in Manipal, the case has been transferred to the corresponding police station.