Six held in Karnataka for Jaipur gold heist

Six inter-state dacoits were arrested in Karnataka Saturday for looting gold ornaments valued at crores of rupees from a jewellery shop in Rajasthan's capital Jaipur June 24, a police official said here.

"The dacoits were nabbed after a car in which they were travelling was intercepted at Baleguli cross near Ankola (30 km from Karwar) on a tip-off from the Rajasthan Police," district Superintendent of Police R. Dileep told IANS.

The accused are Prakash, Sujeeth Farooq, Hamza Kunhali, Parvat Singh and Abdul Sattar.

Karwar, a port city, is in the west coast of Uttara Kannada district, about 520 km from the state capital Bangalore.

"We have also seized the gold from the gang," Dileep said but declined to quantify it or give its estimated value.

Police sources, however, hinted that the gold ornaments could weigh up to 50 kg.

The gang travelled with the booty from Jaipur and crossed into the state after passing through Mumbai and Ratnagiri in Maharashtra and Goa bordering this district.

"Preliminary interrogation of the culprits revealed that they were planning to sell the looted gold in Kerala after passing through the state along the coastline through Mangalore," Dileep said after a first information report was filed against them.

"We handed over the accused to a team of Rajasthan Police, which rushed here from Jaipur after the arrests," Dileep said.