Mangaluru: Mangaluru City police have successfully arrested key suspects involved in two separate property theft cases reported under their jurisdiction.In connection with a chain snatching incident reported near the Suterpet village accountant office on June 14, where a motorcycle-borne offender snatched a gold chain from a woman, police carried out an operation to arrest the culprits.On June 26, three suspects were taken into custody near Rosario school in Pandeshwar. However, while being brought to the police station, the prime accused, Althaf Hussain, a resident of Bagalkot, assaulted the police personnel on duty, pushed them aside, and escaped from custody. A police constable sustained minor injuries during the scuffle, and a separate case was registered at the Mangaluru South police station under Sections 121(1), 132, and 262 of the BNS.The stolen gold chain and the motorcycle used in the crime were previously recovered from two co-accused, Ravi Baura and Mohammad Sahil Siddiqui alias Mohammad Sahil, both residents of Uttar Pradesh. To trace the escaped accused Althaf Hussain, a special police team was formed. Following continuous efforts and credible intelligence, PSI Maruthi P along with staff members Laxman Salotagi, Sagar, and Anjaneya from the Mangaluru South police station chased and apprehended the accused in Vijayapura city on Monday.City police commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy CH said that the arrested accused has been produced before the court for further legal proceedings. He faces six other registered cases across various parts of the state, he said.In another case, a theft was reported at the Kordabbu Daivasthana in Madhya Kodipady, Surathkal, around 1.30am on August 5. An unknown person broke open the shrine’s door and window using an iron tool, stole the offering box, and decamped with approximately Rs 15,000 in cash. A case was registered at the Surathkal police station under Sections 331(4) and 305 of the BNS.A special police team was deployed to trace the culprit. Based on precise information, officers intercepted and detained the suspect at the Surathkal railway station on Monday. The accused, identified as Sukhesh Naik,40, a resident of Bellappalli, Kukkihalli village, Udupi taluk, confessed to the crime during interrogation. He was produced before a court in Mangaluru on Tuesday.Investigation revealed that the accused has 18 criminal cases registered against him across various police stations in Udupi district, with a conviction in one case. Multiple pending arrest warrants were also found to be active against him in Udupi district, the commissioner said.
