Gold heist at Pallipuram: Police collect evidence, CCTV footage

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A day after 100 sovereigns of gold was robbed allegedly by a 12-member gang after hacking a jewellery owner at Pallipuram near Technocity in the capital, the Thiruvananthapuram rural police collected evidence from the spot on Saturday.The gang, on Friday, waylaid the jeweller who was travelling in his car and made away with the gold. A team led by Rural SP P K Madhu inspected the spot and collected the CCTV footage at Pallipuram and Vavarambalam where the car driver was thrown off the vehicle.

Officers took jeweller Sampat Surve, his driver Arun to the spot to collect more details. According to police, the robbery could have been carried out by a ‘quotation’ gang employed by the complainant’s rival. The police suspect the robbers could be the same gang who attempted a similar heist four months ago at Thuckalay in Kanyakumari district. Sampat’s former driver was one of the suspects in that incident. The police are also on the look-out for him. Attingal DySP Hari C S is leading the probe. 

“We have received some information and the culprits will be nabbed soon,”, said Madhu. Sampat, 47, a Maharashtrian, is currently a resident of Neyyattinkara. As part of his business, he takes gold to different retailers at various places.The incident occurred at around 8pm on Friday when Sampat, his driver Arun and his relative Lakhsmana were proceeding to Attingal to distribute the gold from Neyyattinkara.

The gang intercepted their car, broke the windshield, threw chilli powder on their faces and hacked them. Sampat suffered injuries on his arms. The gang then forced Arun to enter their car and assaulted him again. He was thrown off the vehicle at Vavarambalm near Pothencode. Two cars that allegedly followed Sampath’s vehicle sped towards Pothencode side.