Seven people, including the son of an influential person, were arrested after allegedly attempting to rob a medicine truck on the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway near Mandya. Police said the accused chased the truck and allegedly fired at it before being taken into custody.
A gang of seven, including the son of an influential person, has been arrested by the Mandya Rural Police for allegedly attempting to rob a truck transporting medicines on the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway. The accused allegedly chased the truck, attempted to intercept it and fired a shot at the vehicle near Mandya, triggering panic. Police have launched a detailed investigation into the incident and are examining whether the weapon used was an air gun or a more dangerous firearm.
Truck Carrying Medicines Targeted on Expressway
The truck driver, Shankar, is a native of Sakleshpur in Hassan district and currently resides in a paying guest accommodation in Mysuru's Gokulam area. For the past few years, he has been working for Tata, transporting essential medicines from Bengaluru to Mysuru every day.
On Wednesday at around 4.30 am, while travelling from Bengaluru to Mysuru with a consignment of medicines, Shankar was allegedly intercepted near Amaravathi Hotel in Mandya by a group travelling in a black Toyota Fortuner.
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Accused Allegedly Fired at the Truck
According to the complaint, when Shankar attempted to drive away, the occupants of the SUV allegedly brandished a gun in an attempt to intimidate him. They then allegedly fired a shot at the truck.
Shankar managed to apply the brakes in time and escaped without injury.
Recalling the incident, Shankar's friend, Pradeep, said, "Stopping vehicles on the highway is one thing, but these guys came with a gun ready to shoot. It was terrifying."
Shaken by the incident, Shankar drove to his residence in Gokulam, parked the truck and rested. Later that evening, officers from the Mandya Rural Police Station visited his residence and recorded his statement.
Seven Arrested, Vehicle and Weapon Seised
Based on the complaint, police registered an FIR and launched an investigation, leading to the arrest of all seven accused.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Rohan Gowda, Shashank, Umar, Nitin, Mohammed Abukar, Sachin and another accused. Police sources said one of the accused is the son of an influential person.
Police also seized the Toyota Fortuner allegedly used in the incident, along with the weapon recovered from the accused.
Police Verify Nature of Weapon
The Mandya Superintendent of Police said that during preliminary interrogation, the accused claimed they had fired the weapon "for fun" and insisted that it was only an air gun.
However, investigators are verifying the claim. The weapon has been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) to determine whether it is an air gun or another type of firearm.
Police said further investigation is underway to establish the motive behind the incident and determine whether the group intended to rob the truck or had any other criminal intent.
