Member of gang that robbed flat owner of valuables worth Rs 2 lakh held

KOCHI: One member of a gang that broke into a high-end flat in Aluva on October 22 and robbed Rs 2 lakh worth of valuables and made the owner also pay Rs 3,000 through Google Pay before leaving was arrested on Saturday.

The three-member gang took away a motorcycle, a purse containing money and ATM cards after threatening the owner who was residing alone in his apartment in Alphine Tower Acquacity complex at Kottapuram. Sajad, 33, of Vedimara was arrested by the Aluva West police. 

The gang broke into the flat with lethal weapons in the early hours of October 22 and threatened the owner, a middle-aged man. Before leaving the flat, the gang asked the owner how much money he had in his savings bank account. When he replied that there was only Rs 3,000, they threatened to kill him if he did not transfer the money to them through Google Pay. He transferred the money to a phone number they gave, said the police.

The owner lodged a complaint later and the police launched an inquiry. The suspects were identified after examining the CCTV footage from the apartment complex and arrested Sajad. The police are on the lookout for the other two. 

A case under Sections 392 (punishment for robbery), 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 34 (common intention) of the IPC was registered against the three.  Aluva West police inspector K Unnikrishnan is investigating the case.

Meanwhile, MLA Anwar Sadath demanded the police to intensify night patrolling in the wake of a spurt in theft incidents in Aluva. Earlier, three steel chairs in the bus waiting shed at Bank Junction were stolen. The shed was constructed using the MLA fund.