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Bantwal, Mar 19: A team of police personnel from Vittal station, working under the guidance of the town circle inspector, K U Belliappa, has succeeded in arresting a gang of notorious thieves-cum-robbers, who are said to be involved with over 24 cases of thefts, robberies and other criminal activities in Karnataka and neighbouring states.

Out of the above, 12 cases are from Dakshina Kannada district. The criminals were roaming around the streets freely in border area villages like Paivalike, Kanyana, and Karopady, since sometime, it is gathered.

The arrested accused are Kempaiah alias Harish Shetty alias Ravi (45) from Chandkoor in Nada village, Beltangady taluk, Ummer Farooq alias Farooq (30) from Bekoor Agarthamoole in Manjshwar, and Satish Bhandary alias Satish (52), a native of Suvarnanagara in Moodbidri Kallabettu. Ashraf alias Chilli Ashraf, the other accused, has escaped to a foreign country, said the police. Three stolen cars and two motor bikes have been seized from the gang members.

The gang faces cases like trying to snatch away Rs 4.5 lac from an areca nut merchant functioning from in front of Vittal Lord Anantheshwara temple by spraying chilli powder into his eyes, stealing of cash from a wine shop in Salethur after beaking its doors open, bike theft from Kudpaltadka in Karopady village, attacking of a merchant with weapons and robbing of money from him from a spot within Moodbidri police station limits, snatching away of cash and gold chain from a canteen operator, stealing of two Maruti 800 cars and a motor bike, robbery of Rs 4.5 lac afrom the occupants of a car at Natekallu within Ullal station limits, robbingof Rs 1.5 lac from those treavelling in ca car near Thokkottu, and stealing of Maruti 800 car from Kulshekar within Mangaluru rural police station limits, police said.

Kempaiah alias Harish Shetty happens to be the kingpin of the gang. He has gatecrashed into a large number of jewellery storess in several south Indian states including a theft in which 25 kg jewellery items were stolen from Rajalaxmi Jewellers Hyderabad. In another instance, 21 kg gold was stolen from Chemmanur Jewellers in Banaswadi, Bengaluru. Robbing of Rs 1.91 crore from Corporation Bank’s R T Nagar branch and five robbery cases in Mumbai were also executed allegedly by him. He was in jail for eight years, and has been evading court appearances in robbery cases. It is said that he was an associate underworld criminal, Ravi Poojary and Satish Bhandary also happens to be an aide of Ravi Poojary, it is being claimed.

Satish Bhandary has several cases of robbery filed against him in Mumbai. He is an accused in a shoot out case at Kulur, Panambur, six years back. He has been named in robbery of Ummer Farooq in Kumble, Kerala, and robbery and murder case under Manjeshwar police station limits.

The operation was guided by Dakshina Kannada district superintendent of police, Dr Sharanappa S D, additional superintendent of police, Shantakumar, as wellas Bantwal deputy superintendent of police, Bhaskar Rai, and under the leadership of police circle inspector, K U Belliappa, by Vittal station house officer Prakash Devadiga and his team.