Hyderabad: Karimnagar police arrested three accused from Meerut in connection with a robbery in which the assailants, brandishing dummy pistols and knives, tied up four members of a family and decamped with valuables. According to the police, the 80-year-old victim’s son-in-law and grandson had orchestrated the robbery on July 22.Five masked accused barged into the house of the victim, Md Ajmat Ali, in the early hours. They tied up Ali and three of his family members before fleeing with cash, gold and silver jewellery, the family’s mobile phones, and two motorcycles belonging to tenants.By analysing CCTV footage and mobile phone data from the crime scene, investigators identified the mastermind as Mohammad Rajauddin, Ajmat Ali’s son-in-law. Rajauddin, in collusion with his son, Mohammad Azeem Raza, from Meerut, orchestrated the robbery.Karimnagar additional DCP P Venkata Ramana said there had been marital discord between Rajauddin and his wife. She had left him a year ago and returned to her parents’ home in Karimnagar. “Rajauddin came to his in-laws’ house to take his wife back and attempted suicide by consuming poison after she refused to return with him. His in-laws supported his medical treatment and even gave him money to set up a garments business in Karimnagar. Rajauddin incurred losses in the business and sought ₹5 lakh from the family a month ago. When they refused his request, he plotted the robbery with the help of his son and three other associates,” the additional DCP said.As per the plan, the five accused travelled to Karimnagar by train and carried out the robbery wearing masks. Special investigation teams went to Meerut in the last week of July. “After learning that the Karimnagar police were looking for them, Rajauddin and his son surrendered before a local court in Meerut in connection with another case in which they were involved. The duo was remanded in judicial custody by the local court,” the additional DCP said.A police team arrested the duo’s three accomplices — Salman alias Bhure (22), a fruit vendor; Salman alias Viman (22), a labourer; and Md Haseen (19), also a labourer, all from Meerut — on July 29.Police recovered ₹2 lakh in cash, 43.6 gram of gold and 65 gram of silver from the trio. They were brought to Karimnagar on a transit warrant.
