It took the police a little over two years, but they finally tracked down and arrested a gang of four taxi drivers who allegedly murdered a van driver and stole ₹75 lakh that he was transporting for a cash management company.
With their arrest, the police have solved the November 2018 murder of Abdul Shahid, 30. “The Govindapura police received a tip-off about the prime accused Kumar N., a former driver with another cash management company,” said S.D. Sharanappa, DCP (East).
Kumar, who was well versed with how cash management firms operated, befriended Shahid in 2018. He along with his associates — Prasanna M.B., 31, from Mysuru, Madhusudhan, 23, from Mandya, and Mahesh U., 22, from Andhra Pradesh — offered Shahid ₹5 lakh if he teamed up with them. They allegedly convinced him to steal the cash box in the van while the guards were refilling the ATM.
During the course of the investigation, the police recovered footage of the victim walking away with Kumar from the van. “Initially, Shahid joined them and escaped with the cash box. However, he started having misgivings, and asked the accused to drop him home. Fearing that he would spill the beans, they strangled him to death in a moving car and dumped the body in the forest area in Sakleshpur,” said a police officer.
The accused managed to evade the police and even started a cab service business with the money they stole. “After they murdered Shahid, they went to Dharmasthala to visit the temple where they made a cash donation,” the officer added.
However, the police were actively investigating the case, and received a tip-off about Kumar’s whereabouts. He was arrested him at K.R. Pet.
Based on his information, the police arrested the other accused and recovered three bikes, two cars, and gold valuables worth ₹15 lakh from them.
