Masked gang robs jeweller of Rs 20 lakh gold near Baikampady Junction

The Mangaluru City Police have launched a dacoity investigation after a seven-member masked gang intercepted a jeweller's car, assaulted him, and drove away with his wife and son before robbing them of gold ornaments worth Rs 20 lakh early Monday morning on NH 66 near Dwara Hotel at Baikampady Junction, near Mangaluru. The incident took place at around 2:15 am.

The victim, Vikas Subbarao Dhanavade, a jeweller hailing from Sangli in Maharashtra, was travelling with his family to Payyanur in Kerala. According to the police, the masked men arrived in three vehicles—two Toyota Innovas and a Swift—to block Dhanavade's car on the highway.

According to the complaint filed by Dhanavade with the Surathkal police, the gang threatened the family, assaulted him, and forced him out of his Kerala-registered Swift Dzire. The attackers then drove off in his vehicle with his wife and son still inside.

The gang drove the vehicle towards Panambur Beach Road, located a few kilometres away. There, they robbed Dhanavade's wife of a bag containing approximately 180 grams of gold ornaments, valued at around Rs 20 lakh.

After taking the gold, the gang abandoned the woman and her child on the road. The suspects then escaped in the stolen Swift Dzire, also taking two mobile phones belonging to the family. The police noted that the gang left a gold chain worn by Dhanavade's wife untouched during the robbery.

Mangaluru City Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy stated that investigators have obtained vital clues in the case. Multiple police teams have been constituted to trace the gang. Investigators are currently examining CCTV footage and other technical evidence.

The Surathkal police have registered a case against the unidentified suspects. The charges include dacoity involving violence, mischief causing damage to property, aggravated kidnapping or abduction, and wrongful restraint. The gang has also been booked under the Karnataka Prevention of Destruction and Loss of Property Act 1981.