The Thiruvananthapuram Rural police, which claim to have closed in on the suspects in the Pallipuram dacoity case, say the crime was the handiwork of a “local quotation gang.”
A day after the police detained five people from nearby areas, including Mangalapuram and Perumathura, the investigation team was yet to record the arrests of the suspects. However, a senior police officer said some of the perpetrators were under custody. Based on information received during questioning, efforts were on to nab the other members of the gang that is believed to number over 10 people.
The police had initially considered the possibility of the involvement of an inter-State robbery gang.
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The case took an unexpected turn when the investigation team recovered ₹75 lakh from the Maharashtra-native jeweller. Mr. Sampath had apparently handed over the cash, which had been kept in a concealed chamber within the car, to a relative in Attingal before alerting the police of the burglary. The cash was seized after the relative who figured in the complainant’s call detail record around the time of the crime was questioned.
While the police have informed the Income Tax Department, they have handed over the cash to the Attingal court. The complainant has not been able to produce proper documents for the source of the money yet, official sources said.