Gold trader waylaid in Bandipur forest, 1.3 kg of gold bars robbed

CHAMARAJANAGAR: In a daring robbery in the Bandipur forest area near Gundlupet, a gang of robbers, travelling in three cars, waylaid a vehicle and took away 1.3 kg of gold worth lakhs. The gold belonged to a Kerala-based trader.
The robbers, who arrived in a dramatic style, crashed into the car and attacked the occupants, Vinu and Sameer, and stole 1.3 kg of gold which was hidden in the centre console storage.

The robbery was executed on a stretch of road in the Bandipur forest area where there is no telephone network. The robbers banged into the car front portion, threatened the occupants with weapons and made off with the gold, leaving the occupants shaken. The police have taken the car into custody, and a complaint has been filed at the Gundlupet police station. Senior police officers, including SP Kavitha B T and Additional SP Shashidhar, visited the spot.

Briefing media persons in Chamarajanagar on Saturday, SP Kavitha said, “The robbery in Bandipur was a pre-planned attack. The victim, Vinu from Kerala, had taken gold bars from Kadakola near Nanjangud to sell in Kerala. The robbers, who arrived in an Innova and two Ertiga cars, stole 1.3 kg of gold bars and left the victims on the Mysuru-Virajpet road”.

“It is suspected that the same gang may have been involved in a previous robbery in Gundlupet. Five teams have been formed to track down the robbers, and CCTV footage is being examined. Vinu had obtained the gold bars from a Mandya-based jeweller, Rajesh Jewellers and was transporting them to Kerala with his associate, Samir, who was driving the car”, the SP said.

The police believe that the robbery was a pre-planned attack with the robbers targeting the gold trader’s vehicle when it was passing through the Bandipur forest area en route to Kerala. The police are investigating the incident and following leads to nab the culprits.