Sullia: Sword-wielding areca nut thieves strike edapathya farm; Farmer's son injured

Two areca nut thieves brandishing swords targeted Edapathya Farms in Savanoor, leaving the owner’s son injured. Nishkal Ram, who confronted the thieves during their act, suffered injuries to his hand. One of the thieves, identified as Basheer, was apprehended by the family, while the other managed to escape.

Nishkal, who recently returned from Mysuru, discovered the thieves loading areca nuts from the solar shed on Saturday morning. A tense confrontation ensued, leading to the attackers threatening Nishkal and ultimately wielding a sword against him. His cries for help brought family members to the scene, resulting in the capture of Basheer.

During questioning, Basheer admitted to a series of areca nut thefts in recent days, estimating the stolen loot’s value at approximately Rs 5 lakh. He claimed to be acting on the instructions of another thief named Hakeem, who successfully evaded capture. The duo used a car belonging to Irshad for their criminal activities.