Five sentenced to 10 yrs RI in 2015 bank burglary case

A local court today sentenced five persons to ten years rigorous imprisonment in a case relating to a burglary at a nationalised bank at Cheruvathur in the district in September last year.
Kasaragod Chief Judicial First Class Magistrate G Anil also imposed a fine of Rs 25 lakh each on the five accused, of which Rs 75 lakh has to be given to the bank.
The Magistrate acquitted 7th accused, Abdul Khader (48) of Coorg "on benefit of doubt" while the 6th accused, Ashraf (38) is still at large, K Prabakaran, Deputy Director of Prosecution said.
The Magistrate found S Sulaiman (44), Abdul Latheef (35), Mubashir (22), Abdul Khader alias Manaf (30), all from Kasargod and M J Murali (45) of Idukki guilty of looting 20 kg gold and Rs 2.95-lakh from Vijaya bank branch in Cheruvathur on September 27, 2015.

The cash and gold kept in three cupboards of the branch on railway station road was found missing after the employees opened the bank after two days of recess.
The burglars broke into the bank, located on the first floor of the building, by drilling open a concrete slab.