Coimbatore District Police grope in the dark as highway robbers remain elusive
The special teams that went to different parts of Kerala in search of the accused reportedly returned to Coimbatore after they could not make progress, police sources said.
Jeweller Jaison Jacob, 55, of Thrissur and his employee S. Vishnu were targeted by a group of men, who intercepted their car on the highway at K.G. Chavadi around 5.45 a.m. on June 14.
While a truck waylaid Mr. Jacob's car near a fuel station, other gang members, who tailed the duo in another vehicle, struck at them. They carjacked Mr. Jacob, along with Mr. Vishnu, and robbed them of 1.25 kg of gold, before leaving them on the road after travelling for some distance. The robbery took place when the duo was heading to Thrissur, after purchasing gold from Tamil Nadu.
Police sources said that the truck used for waylaying the jeweller's car was found abandoned at Ettimadai a day later. The jeweller's car was found left on an interior road at Vazhukkal, close to the Tamil Nadu – Kerala border at Velanthavalam on June 16.
The police suspect that the robbers escaped to Kerala via Velanthavalam, after committing the crime on the busy Salem – Kochi highway at K.G. Chavadi.
Sources added that visuals from several surveillance cameras were examined to trace the vehicle used by the robbers to tail the jeweller's car and then escape with the gold.
As the district police could not make significant leads in the case, they have sought the assistance of the Kerala police to crack it and nab the robbers.
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