Gold, diamond jewellery worth Rs 90 lakh stolen from bus; four-member gang suspected
Koppal ; A daring theft involving gold and diamond jewellery worth nearly Rs 90 lakh was reported from a sleeper coach bus travelling from Mantralaya to Mangaluru, when the vehicle stopped for dinner near Koppal. Police suspect the involvement of a four-member gang in the incident.
The stolen bag belonged to Mohammed and Irshad from Mangaluru, who were travelling in the bus. While they were asleep, one of the accused allegedly entered the bus and stole the bag containing the jewellery.
The incident occurred in front of Tawa Punjab Hotel located along National Highway 63 on the outskirts of Koppal. The bus had halted there for passengers to have dinner when the theft took place.
According to preliminary police findings, the crime appears to have been well-planned. One of the suspects reportedly boarded the bus from Sindhanur and kept a watch on the passengers. Meanwhile, three other accomplices followed the bus in a Bolero vehicle.
CCTV cameras installed outside the hotel captured the entire sequence of events. The footage shows the accused entering the bus and escaping with the bag within a short span of time. The suspects were also seen communicating with each other through signals before executing the theft.
Police sources said the stolen jewellery is believed to belong to Unicef Gold Company. At the same time, investigators are also examining questions about how such a large quantity of gold and diamond jewellery was being transported and to whom it was meant to be delivered.
Police have collected CCTV footage and statements from passengers and have launched a search operation to track down the four suspects involved in the crime.
