Three arrested from Kasaragod for robbing Kerala man of ₹41 lakh on Salem – Kochi Highway

The K.G. Chavadi police have arrested three persons from Kasaragod district in Kerala for robbing a goldsmith from Kerala of ₹41 lakh on Salem – Kochi Highway on February 19.

N. Nithin (33) of Cheruvathur, Sreekumar M.V. (31) of Neeleswaram and K. Sudheesh (39) of Pallikkara, all places in Kasaragod district, were arrested from their native on Saturday, said the police. The police brought them to Coimbatore and produced them before the judicial magistrate, Madukkarai, on Sunday. The magistrate sent them to judicial remand.

The police said that the Nithin, Sreekumar and Sudheesh were part of a gang that robbed M. Lukman (56), a goldsmith from Naduvattam near Pattambi in Palakkad district, of ₹41 lakh on Salem – Kochi Highway, within the limits of K.G. Chavadi station.

As per the complaint lodged by Mr. Lukman, a car knocked his scooter near Walayar checkpost around 8.30 a.m. on February 19, when he was returning to Kerala with ₹41 lakh after selling gold in Coimbatore. While a few of the men dragged him to their car, two others took his scooter, in which the cash was kept in a secret compartment. The complainant had alleged that the men left him at Kozhinjampara in Palakkad district, after taking away his mobile phone.

The police traced the three accused to Kasaragod on Saturday, based on surveillance camera visuals of the suspected car involved in the robbery, and arrested them. The police seized the car and recovered ₹20,000 from them.

“The arrested men claimed that a total of eight persons were involved in the robbery. The trio stated that the remaining money was with the five others. We are verifying their claims and investigating the case further,” said a police officer.