B’luru: Journalist among 5 arrested for robbery at realtor’s house

Bengaluru: Police arrested 5 persons, including a Kannada journalist, on charges of robbing a realtor’s family by posing as income-tax officials.

The arrested have been identified as M Manjunath(35), Syed Mohammed Rabbani (32), T C Prashanth Kumar alias Jayanth (40), K Kumar(40), and Dharmesh alias Rudresh (30).

Manjunath was found to be the mastermind behind the robbery that took place on the morning of January 23. He worked as a sub-editor of a little-known Kannada tabloid. The other 4 involved in the crime were real estate brokers, police said.

So far, police have recovered Rs 1.7 lakh cash, the air guns, a car, and a fake ID card of the income-tax department.

A realtor named Ramesh who resided in RMV 2nd Stage, North Bengaluru had died of ill health a year back. The accused knew about the dealings of the deceased realtor and were enticed by the lakhs of the monthly income generated by his properties in and around Sanjaynagar. They also knew the family kept cash at the house and planned to rob it.

When the brokers pitched the idea, the journalist worked out the plan of the robbery and its execution. On the day of the robbery, Syed Mohammed Rabbani and Prashanth alias Jayanth, barged into the house posing as income-tax officers. The duo told the family that they were raiding the house for determining the wealth of the family and ransacked the house.

Eventually, they took away Rs 3.5 lakh in cash and two air guns.

It took a while for the family to realize the raid was a fake one and they have been robbed. Thereafter, Ramesh’s son Chetan R filed a complaint at the Sanjaynagar police station.

Meanwhile, police have sent the licensed air guns found at Ramesh’s house for forensic analysis. Efforts are also being made to recover the rest of the loot.

It is suspected that the gang may also be involved in a similar robbery that took place some months ago. Investigations are underway.