Pramesh S Jain
A distinctive white bandana worn by one of the accused and a reflective sticker on the jacket of another helped the Wilson Garden Police track down three men who robbed a 54-year-old car wash attendant near the Ayyappa Temple in Shantinagar in the early hours of November 15.
The victim,who was returning home from work on his scooter,was waylaid and robbed at knifepoint.The gang fled with his mobile phones and a silver chain.
Acting on the viral CCTV footage circulating on social media,Inspector Farooq Pasha M.G.and his team launched a suo motu investigation as the victim was initially too scared to file a complaint.
Police scanned footage from more than 300 CCTV cameras along the escape route before zeroing in on the suspects at the LR Nagar slum quarters in Adugodi on Saturday.
The arrested have been identified as Vikram (19), Saravana (20) and Surya (19)—daily-wage labourers who also play musical instruments at local functions, including weddings and funerals.
According to police,all three are drug addicts, and Saravana already had a robbery case registered against him in Adugodi.
After the trio confessed and the stolen valuables were recovered, police traced the victim and convinced him to file a formal complaint.
The accused have been booked under charges of robbery, criminal intimidation, Section 118(1) BNS: Voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means,wrongful restrain, Section 352 BNS: Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace and provisions of the Arms Act, and have been remanded to judicial custody.
