Mangaluru: Hijacked jewellery trader’s car recovered in Bantwal; police intensify hunt for robbers

Mangaluru: Hijacked jewellery trader’s car recovered in Bantwal; police intensify hunt for robbers

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, July 1, 2026: The car of a jewellery trader that was hijacked along with gold ornaments and cash worth around Rs 20 lakh by a gang of armed robbers has been recovered from a deserted area near Kalpane in Bantwal taluk.

According to police, the accused abandoned the vehicle after allegedly slashing the seats and searching every part of the car with knives in an attempt to locate valuables.

Mangaluru City Police Commissioner has constituted special investigation teams to probe the case. One team is questioning employees and acquaintances of the victim, Vikas Subbarao Dhanawade, to gather leads.

Preliminary investigation has revealed that the robbers used three cars during the crime—two bearing Kerala registration numbers and one registered in Bengaluru. Based on these leads, one police team has been sent to Payyanur in Kerala, while another is conducting searches in Bengaluru to trace the accused.

Vikas Subbarao Dhanawade, originally from Maharashtra, has been residing in Payyanur, Kerala, for the past 12 years, where he runs a jewellery business. He was returning with his family from Mumbai after attending a friend’s wedding when the incident occurred.

At around 2.15 am on Tuesday, near Panambur on National Highway 66, a seven-member masked gang intercepted his car in a dramatic manner, forcibly took control of the vehicle, and fled with gold ornaments and cash worth approximately Rs 20 lakh.

A case has been registered at the Panambur Police Station, and further investigation is underway.