The Hubballi police have arrested two members of an inter-State gang that indugled in thefts and have recovered gold ornaments and silver articles, a two-wheeler, in all, valued at ₹ 24.67 lakh, a country-made pistol and three live bullets from them.
Deputy Commissioner of Police B.S. Nemagouda told presspersons here on Wednesday that with the arrest of the two, the police had solved 10 cases of theft reported in Dharwad, Haveri and Uttar Karnnada districts. The accused were also wanted by the Maharashtra and Goa police, he said and added that one of their associates is absconding.
He said the accused were wanted in 10 cases in Maharashtra and six in Goa. In a few cases, they had been arrested and released on bail. Mr. Nemagouda gave the names of the arrested as Prakash Patil of Shahapur, Belagavi, and Ravi Dhanraj of Panaji in Goa, who were residing at a rented house at Nekar Nagar in Old Hubballi. They had taken the house on rent saying that they had come to Hubballi seeking job. In all, 16 cases have been registered against the accused in the State, including one each at Yallapur, Mundgod and Hubballi (APMC), four at the Haliyal Police station and three at the Shiggaon police stations.
He said that the accused were roaming around suspiciously near Mahadev Textile Mill on Tuesday night and they were taken into custody after they failed to give a convincing answer to the policemen on night beat. During interrogation, they spilled the beans, Mr. Nemagouda said.
He said that the main accused, Prakash, was first arrested in a case of disturbing law and order in Belagavi and during his imprisonment, he came into contact with burglars, learnt their tricks and subsequently, began breaking into households.
The accused had the expertise to break into houses and escape with stolen articles within 15-20 minutes as he carried with him all the tools required for burglary, he said.
Mr. Nemagouda said that the accused had procured the country-made pistol from the other accused in the case, Tangaraj Acharya. Tangaraj Acharya, a resident of Mapusa in Goa, is now absconding. Cases have been booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and also under the Indian Arms Act 1959.
