Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)
Mangaluru, Mar 23: Two incidents, one of which happened in the city and another in Karkala, go to prove that robbers and thieves have been thinking of new ways to take away cash and jewellery belonging to gullible citizens.
The first of these incidents happened on the night of Wednesday March 21 at Jeppu Mahakalipadpu in the city. In this case, two unidentified men, who were riding on a motor bike, came near a jewellery merchant travelling by a motor bike, sprayed chilli power into his eyes, and escaped with 54 grams of gold found in his possession.
The victim of this robbery is Harish Acharya from Kinya village, who has been running a jewellery shop at car street here since the last over two decades. Owner of Haji Gold and Diamonds at Thokkottu had reportedly given to him a gold bar weighing 54 grams with instructions to melt it and make gold ornaments.
Harish, who was going in his motor bike at around 8.30 pm on March 21 to deliver gold ornaments, was moving ahead after crossing the railway gate at Jeppu Mahakalipadpu when two persons who came in another motor bike from behind, overtook Acharya. The pillion rider of this bike suddenly sprayed chilli powder on the face of Acharya at which Harish tried to park his bike by the roadside. Reportedly, chilli powder was thrown at him at this point again.
Harish fell down to the ground, shouting for help. The two young men pounced upon Harish, and forcibly took a way four pairs of earlobes designed after the ones usually worn by Muslim women from his pocket, and fled. Some people, who were passing by the road, helped Harish to recover, passed on information to one of his friends, and arranged to treat him in a hospital. The value of the robbed ornaments has been estimated at Rs 1.35 lac.
In the other incident, an unidentified person who visited a housewife, acted like a gentleman, earned the trust of the woman and her son at home, had tea, and took away jewellery worth over a lac of rupees. This incident happened in the house of Vasanthi Shedthi (62), resident of Bailoor Nire near Karkala on Wednesday March 21. The value of ornaments lost in this case has been put at Rs 1.73 lac.
The person in question came to Vasanthi's home at 4 pm on Wednesday and spoke about her son's marriage, as if he knew her family well. Vasanthi developed trust about him. After he remarked that Vasanthi was not wearing bangles, Vasanthi's son brought the bangles from the cupboard in the bedroom and made his mother to wear them. The woman then asked her son to make tea. The visitor had tea before leaving.
Vasanthi said that when sweeping the floor at night, she noticed that the door of the cupboard was open. She checked and found that gold ornaments had gone missing. In her complaint to the town police station here, Vasanthi insisted that the theft was committed by the stranger who visited her home.
The police have registered a case and begun investigation.