Jewellery trader robbery case: Four more arrested, Kerala CPI local leader among accused
Mangalore Today News Network
Mangaluru, Aug. 13, 2026: Panambur Police have arrested four more accused in connection with the robbery of a jewellery businessman that took place on June 29 near Panambur. The arrested have been identified as Mithun Lal and Srirag, both from Kannur in Kerala, and Ubaid and Ziyad from Kodagu district.
Among them, Srirag is reportedly a local-level leader of the Communist Party of India (CPI) in Kannur district. Police investigations revealed his direct involvement in the robbery, prompting Mangaluru police to raid his residence. Following the police action and mounting pressure, Srirag reportedly surrendered before the police through his lawyer.
The other accused — Mithun, Ubaid and Ziyad — were also attempting to secure anticipatory bail through legal channels. Mithun was arrested near KPT Junction in Mangaluru, while Ubaid and Ziyad were nabbed in Padil.
Police have seized the Toyota Innova and Swift car allegedly used in the crime. They also recovered a 10-gram gold ring, an iron rod and a gauze cloth allegedly used to assault the jewellery trader during the robbery.
The prime accused, identified as Shijin, remains absconding. During interrogation, the arrested accused reportedly claimed that they did not receive any gold or cash from the robbery. The only recovered item so far is a gold ring, which police traced and seized after it had been sold.
Investigators said Shijin, a native of Kannur who had been conducting business in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, is believed to have masterminded the operation. According to the accused, he would occasionally return to Kerala, assemble a team and plan robberies.
The robbery occurred on June 29 when jewellery businessman Vikas Dhanavade was returning from Sangli in Maharashtra. A gang travelling in an Innova and a Swift allegedly intercepted his vehicle on the Baikampady highway near Panambur and robbed him. Dhanavade later filed a complaint stating that gold ornaments weighing 180 grams and cash, together worth around ₹20 lakh, had been stolen.
The day after the incident, the robbed Swift Dzire car was found abandoned at Pacchinadka near Bantwal. Investigators found signs that the vehicle had been thoroughly searched, apparently in an attempt to locate hidden gold or hawala cash.
Within two days of the robbery, police arrested Nimil from Kannur and Irshad and Mustafa from Kodagu for allegedly helping the accused escape.
Earlier, Mangaluru police had released photographs of 13 suspects and appealed to the public for assistance in tracing them. Shijin Gangadharan was identified as the key accused. With the latest arrests, the total number of accused arrested in the case has risen to seven, while police suspect the involvement of several others and have intensified the search.
Investigators are still trying to determine whether Shijin escaped with the stolen gold or whether the gang had failed to find any valuables. Police sources noted that although the victim’s wife was wearing considerable gold jewellery during the incident, the robbers did not touch her ornaments and instead focused on the vehicle, suggesting that they may have been acting on information that hawala cash was being transported.