In a daring daylight robbery in a jewellery shop in the heart of the town on Thursday, two youths decamped with gold ornaments worth lakhs of rupees after firing gunshots.
However, one of them was arrested from Kumarakom in less than an hour from a private bus and the entire booty weighing more than seven kg of ornaments was recovered.
The other youth escaped on a motorcycle on which both of them had fled after the robbery. A massive combing operation has
been launched in the district and adjoining areas to nab him.
Murugan, 28, of Thevaram in Theni district bordering Idukki, was rounded up from Kavanattinkara, off Kumarakom, soon after the robbery at Kunnathukalathil Jewellers here. Two fully loaded revolvers were also recovered from a bag carried by Murugan.
The two youths entered the jewellery shop around 12.45 pm and asked for a gold bangle. When the shop manager was about to display a set of bangles, he noticed that the beard of one of them was artificial and was coming off from his face. Suddenly, the youth covered his face with a mask and whipped off a revolver and fired a shot on the ground.While the staff, numbering around 10, rushed to the main counter, they were kept at bay with another shot on the ground.
Meanwhile, the other youth pulled down a set of gold chains from the display board and emptied them into a bag with him. The operation was over in 10 minutes and they rushed out to Gandhi Square where they had parked their bike, bearing a Kottayam registration number.
The duo fired another shot in the air to scare away those following them. They sped away on the bike and landed at Chalukunnu in the town, en route to Kumarakom. Murugan was picked up from a Vaikombound private bus, while his accomplice escaped on the bike.
Shijo Mathew, a native of Kumarakom who was travelling in the bus, alerted
the police about Murugan after he got down from the bus. Police blocked the bus at Kavanattinkara junction and took Murugan into custody.
Police Thursday nabbed the mastermind behind Tuesday's daylight robbery in a jewellery shop at the heart of Kottayam town. Police zeroed in on Manoj Xavier (36) a Gulf returnee, by tracking his cell phone signals and arrested him from his apartment in Kathrikadavu around 9.30 p.m.
Manoj was caught after police got crucial leads from his accomplice, Murukan. He was preparing to flee after ensuring his family's safety, police sources said.
Hailing from a well-to-do family in Murikkumpadom, Vypin, Manoj was employed in Gulf for twelve years. Last year he decided to return to Kerala to start a business venture here. He bought around 16 acres of cardamom estate near Santhanpara. He also set up a software business with office in Penta Menaka.
Manoj told police that he suffered a loss of Rs 45 lakhs after his business went bankrupt in Gulf. He was reluctant to sell off the cardamom estate to escape financial ruin. As an easy way out, he planned the heist.
He, along with Murukan, a former employee at his estate, decamped with gold ornaments worth lakhs of rupees after firing gunshots. Murukan was arrested less than an hour after the robbery. Police had recovered around seven kilos of gold from Murukan.
Manoj was caught after police got crucial leads from his accomplice, Murukan. He was preparing to flee after ensuring his family's safety, police sources said.
Hailing from a well-to-do family in Murikkumpadom, Vypin, Manoj was employed in Gulf for twelve years. Last year he decided to return to Kerala to start a business venture here. He bought around 16 acres of cardamom estate near Santhanpara. He also set up a software business with office in Penta Menaka.
Manoj told police that he suffered a loss of Rs 45 lakhs after his business went bankrupt in Gulf. He was reluctant to sell off the cardamom estate to escape financial ruin. As an easy way out, he planned the heist.
He, along with Murukan, a former employee at his estate, decamped with gold ornaments worth lakhs of rupees after firing gunshots. Murukan was arrested less than an hour after the robbery. Police had recovered around seven kilos of gold from Murukan.
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2 comments:
If Manoj Xavier was caught after the Kunnathukalathil jewellery shop heist in 2011, how he could make hoax bomb calls to Lulu mall later? I don't understand it. No where it is mentioned where he was after 2011.
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