Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)

Udupi, Sep 3: Robbers tied up a watchman of an ATM in Padubidri at around 1 am on Sunday September 2. They then burgled the nearby Dhanalaxmi Jewellers and shop dealing in mobile phones.

While silver valuables valued at about Rs 40,000 were taken away from Dhalaxmi Jewellers, 25 cellphones worth Rs 1.8 lac were stolen from Evergreen Mobile Centre, it is gathered.

The gang of robbers which arrived at Kelagina Pete in Padubidri at around midnight had five to six members. The robbers saw that watchman of Karnataka Bank's ATM at Padubidri was watching them. They gagged him with clothes and tied him up to a jackfruit tree located behind the building in sitting position. They then broke locks of two shops and took away whatever they could lay their hands on.

A local, Suresh Acharya, who was delivering newspapers in the early morning, heard some whining sound coming from behind the bushes. He is understood to have sped from the spot, overtaken by fear, thinking it to be some kind og ghost. He later came back accompanied by another local, Sudhakar Moily, and found with the help of torch light that the ATM watchman had been tied up. Thereafter, police were approached.

Padubidri police have visited the spot and registered a case.