Five Interstate Burglars Apprehended in Connection with Udupi Jewellery Store Heist
Udupi: Law enforcement officials have successfully apprehended five individuals implicated in a significant jewellery store burglary that transpired in Udupi. The suspects, identified as members of an interstate gang, were taken into custody in the state of Maharashtra following a coordinated operation.
The incident came to light on the morning of September 9 when Vaibhav Mohan Ghatge, the proprietor of the affected jewellery store, discovered an unauthorized entry into his establishment. The store, which had been securely locked the previous evening, was accessed without any signs of forced entry, suggesting the use of a duplicate key to bypass the shutter lock. A subsequent assessment revealed that ornaments valued at ₹95.71 lakh were missing from the premises. Authorities promptly registered a case at the Udupi Town Police Station to initiate a comprehensive investigation.
In response to the crime, a joint task force was assembled under the leadership of Udupi Town Inspector Manjunath V. Badiger. The team comprised personnel from various police stations, including Udupi, Kaup, Kollur, and Manipal, and collaborated with the Akluj Police in Maharashtra to execute a coordinated operation. Their efforts culminated in the arrest of the accused on September 12 in the Nimgav area of Malshiras taluk, located in the Solapur district of Maharashtra.
The apprehended individuals have been identified as Shubham Tanaji Sathe (25), Praveen Appa Sathe (23), Nilesh Bapu Kasturi (19), Sagar Dattatreya Kandgale (32), and Bhagav Rohit Shrimant (25), all of whom hail from the Malshiras taluk of Solapur district in Maharashtra.
During the arrest, law enforcement officials recovered a substantial amount of stolen property from the suspects’ possession. This included 748.8 grams of gold, valued at Rs 74.88 lakh, 4.445 kg of silver, worth Rs 3.60 lakh, and a cash sum of Rs 5 lakh. Additionally, a Maruti Swift car, estimated to be worth Rs 4 lakh, was seized. The total value of the recovered assets amounts to Rs 87.48 lakh.
The successful apprehension of the suspects and the recovery of a significant portion of the stolen jewellery underscore the effectiveness of inter-state police cooperation in addressing criminal activities that transcend regional boundaries. The investigation remains ongoing as authorities seek to ascertain the full extent of the gang’s operations and any potential involvement in other similar incidents.
