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Karnataka: Two sub-inspectors among four held for robbing jewellery artisan
Two sub-inspectors in Karnataka were arrested alongside two accomplices for robbing a jewellery artisan of gold.
Police on Tuesday said they have arrested four people - two of them sub-inspectors - for allegedly threatening a jewellery artisan and robbing him of gold.
The two arrested officers were identified as Malappa Chippalakatte and Praveen Kumar. "We arrested both the officers yesterday on charges of robbing a person of gold," a senior police officer told PTI.
According to the complaint, the sub-inspectors, who were recently transferred from Haveri district to the eastern range office in Davangere, allegedly intercepted Vishwanath Arakasali, a jewellery artisan from Karwar.
Vishwanath was returning from Davangere with a 76-gram gold bar and a 2.15-gram ring he had collected from gold merchants.
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Police said that around 12.30 am, Vishwanath arrived at the bus stand here from Hubballi when the sub-inspectors followed him, grabbed him by the collar, and identified themselves after showing their police IDs.
They made him sit in a police jeep parked outside the bus stand, drove him towards the KTJ Nagar police station, then moved him to a private car and "threatened" him.
The officers allegedly told him he would not be released unless he handed over the gold. While travelling towards Bengaluru, they allegedly snatched the gold bar and ring before dropping him back at the Davangere bus stand.
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Vishwanath returned to Davangere and lodged a complaint at the KTJ Nagar police station.
Based on the complaint, police registered a case and arrested the two sub-inspectors along with two others - Satish Revannavar of Vinayaka Nagar and Nagaraj Revalkar of Sirsi - for allegedly providing information and assisting in the crime.
Police said they have seized the car and a fake gun used in the incident.
The arrests come days after Bengaluru police apprehended constable Annappa Naik on November 22 for allegedly masterminding an ATM cash heist of ₹7.11 crore.
