The Hindu : Four held for armed dacoity

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jul 14, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala-Thiruvananthapuram

Four held for armed dacoity

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM July 13. In a major crime bust, the rural police today arrested four persons suspected to be behind the abduction and torture of a city-based businessman from whom the gang allegedly stole Rs. 2.5 lakhs at knifepoint.

Police identified the accused as Nazeer, Shyam alias `Aryanadu Veerappan', Sunil Kumar and Shibu. All were arrested by a team lead by the circle inspector (Nedumangad), Vimal Kumar, on Saturday morning. The accused were produced before the Judicial First Class Magistrate court (Nedumangad) and remanded to 14 days in judicial custody.

The incident had occurred on June 6, 2002. Police said the victim, Sabu, distributor of a major ice-cream company in the city, was trapped by the gang with the help of his employee Nazeer. Nazeer had been working at Sabu's agency for the past six months. He learned that Sabu had recently got a `chitti' of Rs 2.5 lakhs and was planning to buy some gold ornaments for his wife. Nazeer impressed upon his employee that a friend of his at Eaanikara in Nedumangad police station limits was hard pressed to sell his wife's gold ornaments to salvage his ailing business.

Believing Nazeer's story, Sabu drew Rs 2.40 lakhs from a city bank and went along with him to Eaanikara. According to police, both checked into `River Gardens', a hotel the same evening, where Nazeer told Sabu that the deal would be transacted. The duo had checked in at about 6 p.m. when there was a power cut in the area.

According to police, Sabu was summoned into a room by Nazeer where some other persons were waiting. Nazeer, along with rest of the accused, started brutally torturing Sabu. Police said Sabu was first poked in the eye and then beaten up for nearly an hour. Fearing for his life, Sabu handed over the money to the accused. Then one of the accused said it would be prudent to "do away with Sabu''. Police said the gang had intended to throw Sabu into a nearby river with a stone tied around his neck. On hearing this conversation, the victim managed to sneak out of the room and escape. He sought refuge in the house of an old woman nearby and managed to make a telephone call to his relatives in the city who alerted the police.

The CI (Nedumangad), Vimal Kumar, managed to track down Nazeer. He asked Nazeer to get in touch with his accomplices and ask them to come to a point in Neyyatinkara town. The police staked out the area in advance and arrested the accused as they arrived at the spot. The police have recovered nearly Rs 1 lakh of the stolen money from the accused.

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