The Puttur division police have arrested eight persons for their alleged involvement in three cases of theft and three theft attempts reported in the past four months in Belthangady taluk.
The police gave the names of the accused as Abdul Karim (36), Mohammed Hussainer (26), Ibrahim (30), M.S. Monu (49), Mohammed Ansar (22), Peter Francis Pinto (50), Mohammed Sufi (26) and Ashraf (29).
The police have found their involvement in three theft cases, including the one reported in the house of Venkataramana Bhat in Bettampady village on July 4. The police had suspected Bhat, who is the prime suspect in the murder of his wife and three children on July 14, was involved in the case.
The Puttur rural police said the eight accused were caught during investigation of theft of Rs. 2.5 lakh ornaments from a house at Panakaje Mallige in Belthangady taluk on August 24.
The police said they found the involvement of the eight accused in attempts to steal articles from Kanakamajalu Cooperative Bank on July 23, theft of a rubber bundle from Ujire Rubber Society on August 5, attempts made at a cooperative bank at Karaya village in Belthangady and at Ujire post office on May 8.
The police said that during questioning, Abdul Karim, Hussainer and Ibrahim admitted to committing theft in the house of Bhat on July 4. The police said a search is on for Suttar. Bhat had complained about theft of gold ornaments and Rs. 53,000. The police said they had recovered part of the ornaments stolen from Bhat’s house.
The police said they are still searching Bhat, who has been missing since the murder of his wife and three children on July 14.
